Life Outside the Games
by StoriesCoffee
Summary: This is my first story on this website, so please be kind! A lot of this story will have to do with Gale and my own characters journey in District 13. Katniss will not make a lot of appearances, just because I believe she's such a big character that you can't do anything with her. DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Hunger Games or any characteristics from this book.
1. Chapter 1

Name: Juliet Matthews

Age: 17

Personality: Stubborn, brave, courageous, whole-hearted, never-surrender attitude, kind, generous

District: 4

-YOUR POV-

You rolled over in bed, sighing into the synthetic pillow. You could feel the light streaming in the from the small window overhead…it wasn't the best source of Vitamin D, but it was the only stuff you got in the morning. An overhead alarm could be heard from the speakers. Sighing, you got up and stretched your arms and legs. You quietly crept up to the dresser and pulled out your normal clothes (see top), most people were only allowed to wear the uniforms that the President had assigned. However, you were a special case. In fact, you quietly believed that the President was a little afraid of you. Smiling grimly to yourself you agreed that she definitely has a reason to be. Slipping on the Communicuff, you left the room in silence, enjoying the bright early morning.

Your room is near the bottom District 13, you're allowed to live by yourself because of your extenuating circumstances (i.e. you were single, and they were hoping you would find a mate sooner rather than later). Plus, you were now considered a valuable member of the resistance…however, only a few knew this, the others just assumed you were a soldier. Walking down to the main area you received the usual stamp schedule on your arm and proceeded to breakfast. It was bland and grey, but you didn't mind. Hey, it was food, and NO ONE down here was going to pass up food. Plopping yourself down on the table you watched the familiar TV screens replay all the footage from the Capitol. That was the thing about District 13…they were thorough in their recon.

A tall guy with brown short hair walked up to you and tapped you on the shoulder. Without smiling you chugged the last bit of milk and looked up at him curiously. He was a normal guy…under the circumstance, the look on his face was grim. But, that was how everyone was looking now-a-days. "What?" you demanded, not in an unkind voice. He took a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it over to you. Taken aback you opened it and read the scrawled message:

My office. Now. Come alone.

Rolling your eyes, you popped the last bit of bread into your mouth and made your way up the stairs. Of course the message wasn't worrying you, you recognized the chicken scrawl as President Coin's. As soon as you walked through the door, people were gripping you by the arm and leading you into the chair sitting in front of the desk. You raised an eyebrow as Coin sat in the opposite desk, her pen scratching at a piece of paper in front of her. There was a few minutes of silence in which neither of you were willing to break the barrier that separated you. You sat back contently, she called you here therefore she can be the one to speak first. Finally, Coin looked up with a sigh, her eyes pierced into your mind…but you ignored it. She wasn't worth the worry, or the trust. No matter how you put it, she was a politician. Meaning, if she wants you dead, she'll make it look like an accident without a second thought. You gave her a small smile in return for her frustration.

"I suppose you've heard about the Hunger Games?" she asked, a little ambiguously. Of course you had heard of the Hunger Games, they were held every year. But, the thing that was confusion was why the President of District 13 suddenly had a particular interest in this year's tournament. You cocked your head to the side a bit, showing your confusion. Squinting her eyes, she turned and flicked on the TV behind her. Immediately there were screen shots of the different up and coming contestants in the games. However, something was different about them this year. Instead of the muscular kids like last year they were old or middle-aged….then the realization hit you when you recognized a few faces from previous Hunger Games years ago. Coin clicked the TV off and turned around to face you. Her eyes were cold, but you could see a few worry lines pop up on her forehead.

"It's the Quarter Quell this year, and because of Katniss Everdeen's little stunt in the last Games Snow has made this year extra special by recalling all of the old winners from years previous." She stated, her voice stoic. You frowned, not completely understanding.

"What happened last year?" you asked, feeling very stupid for asking this. Coin was silent for a moment, searching your face to make sure you were actually serious. An understanding passed through her expression, a smug look appeared on her face.

"Ah, that's right. You weren't here last year." She said, her voice still cold. You raised an eyebrow.

"I was a little preoccupied." You said, recalling the events that had taken place. The events that had brought you here. Coin watched your expression for any transformation with the mention of the past, but you cleared any emotion from your thoughts. That was a long time ago. Today is Today. Tomorrow is Tomorrow. You can do something about those things, but the past stays in the past. After a minute of reflective silence you raised another eyebrow.

"Alright. So, how does this concern me?" you asked, not understanding why she brought you up to discuss the current Hunger Games events. Coin's jaw hardened at being this direct with someone, but she yielded.

"Because the Hunger Games are going to be such a big hit this year all of the Capitol's attention will be away from the normal things….like housing, defenses…you get the drift." She said, a coy smile on her face. You couldn't help but smile at the thought of what was coming next. The Hunger Games will be keeping everyone's attention away from the rest of the Capitol…which gives you a chance to gleam some recon on the enemy. Standing up you put your hands on your hips, excitement coursing through you.

"When do I leave?" you asked, practically already walking through the door. Coin shifted through some papers on her desk and pulled out one with CLASSIFIED stamped across it.

"Tomorrow morning. You're headed for District 2, so be careful; and you'll need to assemble a scoping team." She said, informing you of the basics. You cocked your head slightly.

"District 2, what for?"you asked, confused as to why you weren't going straight into the Capitol itself.

"There are a couple of houses that belong to important people there. I need you to collect a couple of files that contain maps and information about the Capitol…this way, when we're prepared, we'll know how to get in more efficiently." She informed you, her words clipped. Nodding you told her you would be ready by dawn and then you walked out, eager to get a move on.

You already knew who your team was going to be. Walking quickly, you dodged people in the hallway and stairs and immediately turned to the computer room where all the hacking equipment would be. Quickly entering the door, you were hit with a series of noises clogging through your mind. It wasn't the biggest room, but it was big enough to hold several long rows of different monitors and computers. Walking down each row and bypassing several curious onlookers you ran into the guy you wanted to see.

He was standing up and looking at a monitor in frustration. You suppressed a small smile. It was just so funny to see Cid with that expression on his face. He was only fifteen years old, yet he had created enough trouble to land him a spot in with the Hackers (the small group of computer-geniuses who are able to hack into Capitol TV's). He was a very blonde, very spikey-haired kid who always wore goggles around his neck or on his face. His cargo pants were baggy and they sagged down to his butt, his shirt was always this black t-shirt that hugged his chest, it was like he was trying to show off the small amount of muscle he had. His nose always crinkled when he was happy, and his smile was always shaped in a smirk. Right now his gloved fingers were moving at the speed of light, hooking up wires, typing on the computer, switching the lights on and off. Suddenly there was a whirring noise coming from the computer, the printer spat out a few long sheets of numbers. Cid jumped with happiness and let out a chuckle (his voice sounds like the voice of jesse mccartney doing Robin in Young Justice)

"Well, look at that!" he cried, holding the paper out in from of him, his goggles strapped around his eyes. You smiled to yourself and then walked forward slowly into the light. He sees you, but he continues to type away at the computer, the monitor now full of life.

"Looks like you've got your hands full." You said, letting your voice slip away. Cid turned his full attention to you now, his playful grey eyes meeting yours. He wiped his gloved hand across his face, only to smear his forehead with oil.

"Nah, it's actually really boring compared to ANYTHING else." He said, his eyes rolled as a few more Hackers walked over and exclaimed at his handy work. You were hoping this was his answer, because your next question was:

"Do you want more entertaining work?"

Cid raised his eyebrows, his smile forming into the smirk you know and love. He folded his arms across his chest, and adjusted his weight to one foot. "Coin's got you on another mission?" he asked, slightly surprised, "Didn't you just get back from District 10?" You smiled and walked over to him.

"Yeah, but it was pretty easy. Just disabling a few possible weapons and everything…" you said, shrugging your shoulders. In fact, the previous mission at been a snooze-fest. You hadn't even received any injuries. Cid smiled mischeviously at your indifference. Slyly, you threw a fully powered gun at him. He caught it without question, everyone in District 13 has to be ready for anything…especially the people you work with.

"So, how about it?" you ask. "How would you like to work a REAL job?" you ask, already knowing the answer. Cid smiles brightly, his teeth a blazing white.

"Count me in." he said, and then he immediately grabs a tool belt from the desk and begins to pack his supplies. As you walk out the door you tell him to meet you in the President's office in the morning. It was about noon, so you decided to grab some lunch before going on to the next person on your list. Lunch was a mere lamb stew with chunks of potatoe…nothing special, but it was good enough to wash down with A LOT of water. As you ate in silence the TV's in the lunch room lit up with life. They showed footages of the Quarter Quell, about how brave the contestants were and how different and exciting it was this year. You noticed how two of the contestants were younger, whereas the others were older from previous years. Finishing the lunch, you dumped the tray and continued downward, further into District 13. You found yourself in the shooting range, several people were practicing with various weapons: knives, guns, tridents, swords…etc. However, the one person you were looking for was working with the bows.

He was tall and lean, his muscles rippled through the District uniform. His hair was a smoothed-back brown with flecks of blonde. His eyes squinted in focus, his mouth formed a concentrated line. As you walked over you noticed the suttle differences between him and the other trainees. Marcus was about 50 years old. Even though his age was only visible by the worry lines on his face, his body was as fit as the nearest twenty-year olds. Walking over to him, you silently watched as he hit the target with precision. This is the reason why you wanted him on your team.

"Hey, Marcus." You said, inviting yourself into conversation with him. You were attempting to be nice in order to gain his trust. Marcus ignored your greeting and proceeded with another shot at the target. For a few minutes you watched him hit it repeatedly. Smiling, you walked closer to him and handed him his next arrow. He took it and strung it without comment. Still trying to ignore your presence.

"So…listen, I'm going on a mission…" you started. Marcus fired the arrow you had given him, slicing the other one in two. He kept silent, focusing on the task at hand. Sighing inwardly, you continued onward:

"President Coin has issued me to go to District 2 to do some recon work on a couple of the different business and major houses…." You continued, beginning to become a little annoyed at his indifference. Marcus strung another arrow and squinted his eyes in preparation. However, you took a step in front of the bow and shifted the arrow to the side, preventing him from shooting without harming you.

"Marcus, I want to you come with me. I need an expert shooter…and you're the best of the best." You said, letting your anger show. Marcus gave you a big smile and put down his bow. His age was apparent in that moment, his smile seeming more grandfatherly than anything else. He opened his arms wide in good-humor.

"Come now Juliet! No respect for an old…retired man?" he asked, his voice booming through the room causing a few heads to turn. You let the smile show on your face, there was no denying Marcus a good laugh. You gently punched him on the shoulder playfully.

"So I can count you in?" you asked. Marcus sniffed and leaned on his favorite bow. He rubbed his chin comically while thinking. However, you knew his answer. If there's one thing you know, it was that this old coot couldn't turn down a challenge. With twinkling eyes he nodded his head and stretched his arm behind his head. Smiling, you were glad to count another trustworthy person in the game.

"Alright, well we're meeting in Coin's office at dawn…so don't be late old man!" you called while quickly making your exit. It was after dinner time, so without delay you went straight into the next room. Combat training. Hand-to-hand fighting. Much more your style. Putting a pair of gloves to protect your hands, you kicked and punched at the manikin in front of you, making every jab and twist count. Sweat began to pool around your forehead and upper lip, but the excersise felt good. This lasted for a few more minutes before it became to the point where you were panting heavily. Not wanting to wear yourself out too much, you proceeded back to your room. Looking at the clock it told you to go to bed. So, pushing yourself under the covers you stared at the ceiling until you fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

-THE NEXT DAY-

You woke with the sun. Throwing on clothes (from the picture before) and threw your knapsack over your shoulder. You had filled it with only a few provisions: rope, socks, matches, water bottle, a small hand gun, a dagger, and some ammo. All of this fit in a small little sack that was easily portable. Finally, lacing on your boots and throwing on your shades, you walked out of your room and up the stairs into Coin's office. There she was waiting with Cid and Marcus standing on the side. Looking around you saw two others as well. One was tall and dark, his skin the color of mahogany, his eyes were a gentle brown. The other was a lean red-head with bright, blue eyes. Coin cleared her throat.

"This is Demetri, and Frank…they will be your escorts." She said. Demetri was the dark one and Frank was the red-head. Demetri nodded his head solemnly and Frank walked over and shook your hand jovially.

"I'm sure we'll make a good team," he said, throwing his semi-automatic over his shoulder. You nodded slowly and then looked at Coin.

"Alright….we'll need a ride then…" you said, holding out your hand. She bit her lip and brought out a set of keys, but ignoring your hand she gave them to Demetri. Squinting your eyes, you nodded for the others to follow. Coin handed you a file with everything in it, and bade you a, somewhat indifferent, farewell.

You walked out up into the outside, the sun hitting you smack in the face. Letting the light wash over you, you continued to walk across the barren land over to the hovercraft shed. It was a large building with several different sized hovercrafts. A few engineers were working on them with torches lit and helmets on. Walking over to the nearest hovercraft, you jumped on and planted your butt in the nearest seat. You wanted to take off as soon as possible. The others claimed in after you; Frank took the wheel while Cid sat next to him with an excited air. Marcus slid in next to you, his arms silently folded across his chest. The hovercraft rose in the air and took off with a sudden burst of speed. With your hair whipping behind you, you lulled yourself into silence, your mind on the mission.

Everything was eerily silent as the landscape slowly changed from barren to a lush green. Marcus cleared his throat and brought out a map of lines and dots. It was of District 2. "Alright, so I suppose we might as well start to plan out our routes." He said, unfolding the map. You nodded and scoot closer to him, starting to feel that familiar sense of excitement.

For the next 3 hours, you planned your way in and out of the District, noting it's strong spots and it's weakest. After the first hour Demetri and Cid broke into the conversation, adding in their own thoughts as well. Frank ran the hovercraft, but was still adding in whenever he could. Pretty soon the sun was starting to drift downward, covering over them. Frank slowly drew back the wheel on causing the hovercraft to drop slowly. It slid down under the canopy of trees and touched down on the ground with a slight thud. Everyone filed off, you were already looking around seeing what there was to offer. The trees surrounding the area were perfect climbing trees, so they would allow some advantage. Picking up a rock and chucking it caused a sudden burst of birds to fly into the air. Perfect hunting options. Nodding to the others, you dropped your knapsack and picked out the matches. Starting a quick fire, you immediately began cooking a small pheasant. Marcus helped season it while the others put up the fort. A stump nearby allowed a good place for the maps and files, while the nearby Oak tree made a perfect bed.

Sighing with relaxation, you sat down and tore off a chunk of the meat. The juices ran down your throat, making you sigh with delight. Everyone ate in silence, enjoying the few moments of relief. However, it was becoming dark and there was no way you would let a bright fire give away your position. So, with a heavy heart you stamped it out. Unrolling a sleeping bag, Marcus handed you one as well with a smile. Nodding with gratitude, you threw it on the ground and looked up at the sky. It was a midnight black with millions of little bright lights. Leaning your head against a tree, you allowed yourself a little respite. The stars twinkled in the distance, taking you back to a memory you wish you could forget…

_You were sitting with your mother underneath the big oak tree in the yard. It was that time of year where everything was still and quiet, as if mother nature itself was preparing to grow. Everything in District 4 was watered down or covered in sea salt. However, your father had managed to scrape a patch of green for your house. A single tree in the back yard, and a small vegetable garden on the side was everything that was yours. Your mother had an arm around your shoulders, her soft blonde hair was carelessly thrown over to the side. Looking into her eyes was like looking into pools of water, they were so blue…Dad suddenly walks through the house and into the back yard. You smile up at him, and he gives you a small one in return. There's something wrong. You could see it written across his face…something wasn't right. Your father's usually gentle, brown eyes were transformed into fearful ones. His lean body quaked with an unknown threat. He rubbed your head father-like and then bent down and whispered something in his wife's ear. Her beautifully oval face went sharp and cold, her blue eyes had a glint of ferocity. You looked up, concerned, and pulled on your dad's hand. Smiling gently he told you to stay in the yard. Your mother gave you a warm look and said that they just had some business to do…but they'd be back soon. Nodding, still slightly concerned, you leaned back and looked at the sky. Stars were starting to come out, each light glowing bigger than the next. Before you knew it, it was as black as velvet, and your parents still hadn't come back. Sitting up, you had gotten up slowly and had walked into the house. It was a very open house with large windows and white carpet. Feeling yourself tiptoe, you listened to the quiet, being careful to detect any noise what-so-ever. A sudden cry caught your attention, you sprinted to the end of the hallway to your parents room. Peaking through a crack in the door, you saw the back of a man, and his hand was holding a gun…pointed at your father. His eyes looked up at the man with disgust, he was already sporting a gash on his forehead. He whispered something to the man…something that obviously wasn't appropriate because the man hit him on the side of the face with his large weapon. Your father's eyes turned to the door, they looked at you. His mouth formed a word: Run. But then you heard a bang, and he was hitting the floor…face first. You covered your mouth, almost betraying a scream. You ran as fast as you could through the house, your bare feet scraping against the flooring. Just in time, you flung yourself into the vegetable patch, concealing yourself behind a few stalks of corn. Just then, two men came out, their faces angry and hurt. Each had a gun. The one on the right motioned the other in a weird gestured. The man laughed and then place a weirdly shaped object on the door, tying it to the handle. They walked away and got into a vehicle. They glided away slowly and silently. Curiously, you came out from the stalks of corner, only to be blown back by a rush of wind and wood. Every bone in your body screamed as if on fire…a ringing pelted your ears with pain…your eyes flashed with red and yellow…_

"Juliet..are you alright?"

A voice brought your attention back to the present. Cid was sitting next to you, his goggles hanging around his neck. He raised an eyebrow, his small lips turning down into a frown. He looked up at the stars with you and relaxed against the same tree. "I used to watch the stars as a kid too…" he stated softly. You turned your head towards him, his eyes were gentle…for once. He was suddenly a kid again, running and playing….you jerked out of your reverence. That was a different life; and it was no good reminding the kid of something he can never get back. You straightened up and cleared your throat obviously. Cid raised an eyebrow, his eyes reverting back to the calculating boy you know.

"Don't worry Juliet, I'm fine." He stated, getting up and walking back over to his sleeping bag. Watching him walk away, you suddenly felt a pang of regret. However, squashing it you closed your eyes and focused on the mission.


	3. Chapter 3

You woke up to find everyone still asleeping. Feeling groggy, you got up and stretched a little before the sun appeared on the horizon. You stood leaned up against a tree and watched it for a few minutes, enjoying the colors splayed across the sky. It all looked so innocent; the reds, the blues, the yellows…it was all there for everyone to see. In every district there would be this sunset…at least something was linking them all together…"We should get going, Juliet," Marcus walked up from behind you, the usual grand-fatherly smile on his face. You gave him a small smile back and turned back to the sunset for a few brief seconds. You wanted to enjoy this minute for the rest of your life. This mission was dangerous and risky…you might not even come back alive…Marcus gently touched your shoulder, a move only he would dare to do. His kind grey eyes found your quick blue ones.

"It's okay to miss your family," he said softly. You sighed and gently removed his hand from your shoulder.

"I know," you stated pretty formily. Marcus gave you a knowing look, his eyes piercing your mind.

"I heard the conversation between you and Cid last night…sometimes, remembering the loved ones who have passed isn't weakness…," he chastised. This sentence caught you off guard, and your first response was to say something just as mean back. However, after examining the old man's expression, you realized that he wasn't trying to be hurtful. Raising an eyebrow, you locked down all emotions from your face and turned towards the camp.

"Thanks Marcus, but we have to go we have a schedule to keep up to," and with that, you walked with him back to the hovercraft and flew off into the distance. The wind whistled through your ears, blowing away any hurt feelings. Demitri was at the wheel once more, his face was stone-dead serious. Frank, however, was willing to tell a good joke here and there, Cid laughing throughout the whole trip. Marcus sat silently at the back, his head in the charts and maps. Sliding over to him, you helped map out the new route.

As the minutes grew into hours, the scenery began to change into a more hardened form. The trees gave way to hills and stone. District 2 was just on the horizon…Feeling the usual sense of importance, you allowed yourself a moment of panic before letting it all fall through you. There was no reason to be scared for the whole trip, so before every mission you allowed yourself 10 seconds of fear and panic before locking up all emotion. Looking over at Marcus and Cid proved that they were doing the same thing. Marcus's wrinkled face suddenly grew taunt and decisive, his lips pursed in thought. Cid had his goggles on his face, his bright blue eyes shining with a combination of excitement and determination. His usual smirk was a frown, a strange sight on his young face. As for Demitri and Frank, they were both in their professional states. Frank was no longer joking, and Demitri's jaw was as hard as rock.

Everyone was silent for the last few miles before the hovercraft began to descend a few miles out of the district's borders. It stopped in a bunch of trees, the perfect hiding spot for any suspicious eyes. Marcus brought out a map of the district border, he points to a spot near the outer wall surrounding District 2.

"Alright, since District 2 is naturally crowded by mountains and rock, they have no reason to have a fence or wall. We'll use this small weakness to our advantage. There's an outcropping of rocks leading up to the mining part of the district…," he points to a small spot on the map a few miles north of here. "Then, our job will be to make our way from the mines to the houses without being detected as enemies," he said tracing a finger from the mining area over to the housing part of the map. You raised an eyebrow at this in confusion.

"How are we supposed to do that, exactly? That area is VERY open," you said examining the map closer. The housing part of the district was big and spacious. There were no trees or any part that could be covered. Marcus smiled, he turned and grabbed a bag that you hadn't noticed before. Turning it upside down, Marcus let loose a whole lot of clothes. However, this didn't answer you question. At least, it didn't until you caught sight of what kind of clothes they were. Groaning, you picked up a skirt and shirt with obvious distaste in your eyes.

"Are you serious?" you asked mollified. Marcus nodded his head while the others picked through the pile.

"Yep, that's right. We're going in camouflaged as civilians. Just think about it Juliet, if we do this then we'll be completely safe. Besides this, along with the fact that they're showing the contestants for the Games over the monitors, will be a perfect cover to get into the housing part of the district," he said logically. Sighing, you picked out a few pieces of clothing and stuffed them into your own knapsack. Marcus pulled out another map, this one was even in more focus, it was mainly of the different houses. He pointed to three different ones, all in different corners of the area.

"We'll split into three different teams. Frank and Cid, you are to go to this house in the left quartrent," he pointed to a red and tan one at the very top of a plateau. "Demitri and I will be going to this one…," he then pointed to one at the opposite end of the area. You raised an eyebrow doing the math in your head, however, before you could comment on it Marcus was smiling at you with understanding. "Juliet, you're to go to this house…," he pointed to the one in the middle of the area, surrounded by other houses. You felt a smile take over your face. Marcus had assigned you the most dangerous house by yourself. Nodding with approval, you stood up and turned north. It was time to go.

**Later**

In a few short hours, you found yourself climbing over some rock piles and into District 2. As soon as you had jumped over, you had crawled into the shadows with your team following you close behind. There was a few minutes of dead silence, then everyone began to change into their new outfits.

Your dress was a slim blue thing with big flowers sewn oddly around it. You impatiently threw a black coat over it and tied on your combat boots before combing through your hair once.

Looking over, you nearly laughed at the guys' outfits. They were all overly extravagant and colorful. Suppressing a laugh you turned for further instruction from Marcus. Even though techinically YOU were lead on this, you allowed Marcus to designate the plans and the groups because you respected his wisdom and skill. Marcus looked at his watch while everyone secured their equipment. Lucky for you, your outfit was spacious enough to hide a small gun, a few lockpicks, your communicuff, and a few detonators. Cid was standing next to you pulling up his stylish purple pants and securing a few technological devices he has managed to stow away. Winking at you he looked at Marcus as well, waiting for further instruction. Marcus looked at everyone through a pair of large glasses. Pulling out the map, he double-checked everyone's agreement in the arrangement.

"Alright, I suppose we've got nothing else to talk about. So….good luck," with a nod. He grabbed Demitri and took his leave, heading towards the east end of the district. Frank gently touched your shoulder reassuringly, then accompanied Cid to the West side. Taking in a deep breath, you began to walk north into the heart of the district.

As you walked, you felt the gun hit against your thigh. Oddly enough, you felt reassured by it, at least you had a back-up plan…Sighing, you enjoyed the faint breeze and the clear sky. It was a beautiful day out, and so quiet….suddenly, it hit you. It was quiet. Stopping in your tracks, you looked around the buildings. There wasn't a soul in sight. Confused and anxious, you began to walk down the lane at a quicker pace, keeping in mind the house you were supposed to be doing recon on.

It only took a few blocks, but you finally came upon the answer as to all of the silence. One of the monitors in the main square was lit up with activity. A giant mob was gathered under it, watching with rapt attention. Curiousity overtaking your reserve, you silently walked through the crowd to catch a closer look at this oddity. There were names scrolling down the bottom of the screen, each one held what district they were from. As each name flew by, a picture popped up. That's when you recognized it. It was the Games. Coin had said they were going on this year…the Quarter Quell…Those pictures were of the people who were going in. A lot of them were middle-aged or older, each one sporting wrinkles and crows feet. However, one person's face did catch your attention. It was the picture of a girl with long dark hair and dark eyes. Her complexion was tan and glossed over, her expression was somewhere along the lines of determined and serious. Her name was apparently Katniss Everdeen and she was from District 12. She was very skinny, yet toned. Turning away from the monitor you rumimented how she will probably be dead in three days…

Forgetting about the Games was easier than it seemed for you. You've been so busy for the past 2 years you haven't really kept track of who was going in and who was coming out. The fact that it was the Quarter Quell raised some curiousity, but not enough to distract you from the mission. So, without further notice you began to walk due north.

The house that you were looking for was big…REALLY big. It had stone on the front and was painted a dull blue. Doubling checking you weren't being followed, you darted around the house and crept up to the back door. Naturally, it was locked, however that never stopped you before. So, you got in under 10 minutes of picking.

The house was nicely decorated in a very modern and fashionable way. Whoever lived here was obviously up there in the ranks of the president, because everything in this house looked like it was way more expensive then it should've been. You crept through the house as silently as possible, keeping in check that there were no cameras and bugs. The thing that you were looking for was information. So, you first started with the desks and wardrobes. All you could find was clothes and a few scraps of notebook paper. That's when you heard it, the tell-tale sound of a door being opened. A voice floated to you from the livingroom. Holding down the panic in your stomach, you searched frantically around the room for an exit. Suddenly, you looked up to see an air vent channeling through the whole room…probably the whole house. Quickly, you climbed up onto the nearest counter and pulled open the vent.

Just as placed the grate back in, a tall lanky woman walked in. You slowed your breathing in order to listen to her more closely. You noticed how she was dressed like a Capitol minion, her hair was up in a ridiculous do and her make-up was smeared pink and purple across her face. Her outfit suggested that she was rich, yet it showed a few wrinkles, meaning it was over-used. A friend joined her quickly. This one was a man, stout and strong, his hair was in a crew cut and his eyes were a unforgiving grey.

"Lilibeth, you know that we have no choice in the matter. President Snow has recommended it himself, the troops are already nearing 12 as we speak…," his voice was raspy and teasing. The woman sighed dramatically and held her cheek. Troops were approaching District 12...for what? Suddenly it hit you, there must be a rebellion going on in the district.

"I know…but it seems like such a waste of money and men…," groaned the woman. Her voice sounded like a mouse being stepped on, squeaky and stupid. The man gently held on to her shoulders lovingly. His grey eyes were downcast.

"When they blow up District 12, I'll make sure there's hardly any of our Peacekeepers nearby…don't worry, your brother will be safe," with that, he lead her back outside the house. With your thoughts reeling in your mind, the other thing that was obvious was the fact that you needed to get to Coin immediately. Kicking the grate from the vent, you crawled out and landed back on the counter. Feeling panic rise up in your chest, you burst from the house without caring about who was watching. You ran down the street, pushing past the crowds of people mulling around the square. It was as if time had suddenly slown down; you could practically hear your heart thump as you ran across the housing area.

The first house you wanted to get to was Cid and Frank's, you needed to alert them first, so turning your body west, you full out sprinted. However, you plan faltered when you arrived to see that the house was surrounded by a group of Peace Keepers and a circle of civilians. Gently pushing past people you saw something that made your heart drop into your stomach. Cid, Marcus, Demitri, and Frank were all standing in a line with their wrists and ankles tied together, their heads were bent to the ground. A few Peacekeepers stood over top of them with guns pointed. The general walked forward with a smug smile. He raised his hands dramatically in the air; one of those hands was holding tightly on to a gun. Thinking quickly, you allowed yourself to sink back into the crowd. What were you going to do? If you attempted to free them now you would be in chains along with them.

However, you didn't need to worry about making a distraction, because suddenly the large monitor in the main area began flickering with light. Suddenly, the TV was showing play-by-plays of the Games arena and the scores of the contestants. In that moment, everyone's eyes were on the big screen, just enough time for you to step behind one of the Peacekeepers and steal the keys. Quickly, you unlocked Cid's bracelets and then Frank's. However, you stepped back, just as the guards turned around. Cid and Frank played their freedom coolly, however. They knew that if they were to jump up now, they would only be shot. The screen played the number of bets on each contestant, giving you another option to release Marcus and Demitri. The guards turned and glared at their supposed prisoners.

"Look at that, don't you wish you had another chance like those in the Games? At least then you would be still alive…," he laughed maniacally, bringing down his large gun towards Marcus's face. Smiling up at the guard, Marcus pulled apart his handcuffs and kicked the gun away. Following his lead, Cid disarmed the second guard and kicked him in the stomach. You quickly inserted yourself in this fight by pulling the others up onto their feet and running in the other direction. Cid followed close behind you with Demitri, Frank, and Marcus brining up the rear.

Already sirens were wailing through the district. You were heading towards the exit when you heard the stomping of boots on the ground.. At this moment you were pushing your speed to the limit, the door was so close! That's when you began to hear gunshot from behind. For most people this would cause a sudden halt in their footsteps, but you knew better…you had to get out of there.

"Juliet! It's Marcus, he's been hit!" Cid shouted from behind you. Skidding to a stop, you looked to see that Marcus was on the ground with blood dripping from his chest. You ran up to him and knelt down, anxiously watching as Peacekeepers began peaking out from nearby buildings. Marcus coughed and rubbed the wounded area.

"Go…Juliet…get them…out of here….," he breathed, his oxygen beginning to shut down. You shook your head like a little girl.

"We can't leave you here," you cried, feeling a clog form in your throat. Marcus dropped the hovercraft keys in your hand and laid his head back on the ground. You gripped the keys and looked up to see that the Peacekeepers were only a few yards away. Standing up, you heard Marcus give that last deep breath of life and then grabbed Cid's arm and ran through the closing door of the district. You didn't look back as you jumped into the trees and through the forest. Cid wasn't the most athletic, but when a few dozen Peacekeepers were on his tail, he was pretty fast. His goggles were flying across his face, and he was breathing heavily. Looking back, you didn't see Demitri or Frank following, but that couldn't be helped. So, for the next 3 miles you kept running.

Finally, with heaving breaths, you dropped down exhausted. Cid limped over to a tree and threw up the contents of his stomach. Sniffling, he wiped his mouth and plopped down next to you. "We lost Demitri and Frank…," he said slowly. You looked at him with a blank expression. There was nothing you could do about the other two, they were probably dead, but you knew what Cid wanted to hear…

"Don't worry, I'm sure they got away. We'll just meet at the rendezvous point in the morning," you assured him, getting up to set up camp. It was already dark out, which meant no fire, but you pulled out some freeze-dried jerky and handed him a piece. This would have to be dinner tonight, then, tomorrow you'd set out West to find the others.


	4. Chapter 4

-**The Next Morning-**

As soon as the morning sun rose from the horizon, you were up and about, pulling Cid awake. He groggily followed you through the forest at a jogging pace. After yesterday's 5 mile run, you figured it would be okay to just take it a little slower. You had brought a small bag that had been hidden away in your coat; it held a few beef jerky sticks, a few bandages, a jug for water, a compass, and a folded map. Right now you were busy interpreting the map, clutching the compass with a vice grip. You wandered through the trees, stopping every once in a while to take a sip of water. Cid hardly spoke throughout the hike. You knew what was on his mind. He was upset about Marcus and the two brothers. They were more than likely dead, but Cid was more upset about the fact that you left them behind. Turning to him, you stopped him in his tracks and leaned against the nearby oak tree. Hidden behind the leaves was a small marking. Scratching at it, you made your own mark to the tree. Sighing, you slid to the ground with your back to the tree.

"Looks like they're not here yet," you said, gesturing towards the mark. This was a system set up just in

case everyone was separated. You had made your mark, and so has Cid…but Frank and Demitri haven't, which meant they haven't been here yet. Cid looked at you with worry painted across his face. He wasn't the unemotional type like you were, he needed to know everything was okay…even if it wasn't.

"Cid, it will be fine," you assured him, this time a little forcefully. It was going to be okay, the brothers were both capable to take care of themselves. So, standing up, you ordered Cid to get the fire going while you hunted.

Hunting was something that came easily to you. Seeing the prey, sneaking up behind quietly, and then shooting off an arrow…it was all so simple. Compared to the forest, District 13 was like a large city…underground. There were so many politics and dirty dealing…you preferred being in the actual fight. Right here, right now, this was your specialty. And you weren't about to go off and get yourself, or Cid, killed by noisy Peacekeepers. So, you took a deep breath and told Cid to be back by mid-day. You then proceeded to slip quietly off into the forest trees and around the bends.

It took about two hours to get a good tracking of a deer, so you followed it up to a fresh water spring, where it proceeded to drop dead when you pierced it's heart with a makeshift, wooden arrow. You then went over and cut it up into several large pieces, and then sliced it even further down. There was no reason to keep a dead deer on your back for miles. It wasn't for another hour that you had finally cut it up and wrapped it enough so that it was of a manageable amount.

That was when you heard it. It started off as a sort of whispering between the leaves. Instinct pulled you to the nearest bush and forced you to duck under a grouping of branches. You then watched as feet appeared from around the corner, each foot causing a few twigs to snap rather loudly. Then you saw them. It was Frank and Demitri, crashing through the underbrush. Demitri was practically carrying Frank on his back. He set the man down by the pond and scooped up some water from the creek. He then forced the clear liquid into Frank's open mouth, and sighed with exhaustion.

You carefully walked out from the bush, slowly as to not scare them. However, as soon as your foot hit a twig, Demitri was on his feet and pointing a Peacekeeper automatic at you with a mean face. You put your arms up in surrender, and calmly walked forward. As soon as he saw your face, Demitri dropped the act and put the gun down. He wiped the sweat from his face and gestured you over.

There was no hug, or emotional strangle, there was just logic and acceptance that your teammates were still alive. You were happy, but right now the most important thing you could do for them is keep a level head. Demitri crouched down and picked up Frank's head, gently showing you several cuts. And then he moved down to Frank's left leg, which held a serious gash running from the knee to the ankle in a weird kind of spiral.

"It was a trap. One of the Peacekeepers threw something at Frank, and it wrapped around his leg cutting off all circulation. I did everything I could do, but I don't know how much damage the machine did," he admitted, his accent throwing you off slightly. You nodded your head and pulled up the leg of his pants, holding back a shriek at the sight of it. Well, the machine was off alright. But it left a pretty nasty gash in its wake. Puss had built up inside the wound, the skin molten and pushed up. Blue veins sprawled up across the wound like nasty cobwebs. He needed water. Without speaking, you ripped the pant leg off and began working through the process mentally.

First, you need to clear the wound of puss and get rid of any obstructions to the bloodstream. It wasn't going to be pleasant. Looking up at Demitri, you took a deep breath. "Is he unconscious?" you asked quietly. Demitri nodded, giving you a confused look. You held down his wounded leg and nodded at Frank's shoulders.

"Hold him down. I need to clear any infection in the wound, and it's going to be painful," you commanded, bringing out a pocket knife. Demitri slowly put his large hands on Frank's shoulders.

"What happens if he wakes up?" he asked with wide eyes. You looked back at the wound, and put the knife against the swollen part.

"Just be prepared…," you said softly. Closing your eyes, you took a deep breath…

_"No Juliet, you have to cut open the wound and THEN clean it."_

_You rolled your eyes and continued messing around with the dummy. Meanwhile, Lazy stalked around you with a click of a heel and a scratch of the head. You smiled at the sound of his black, suede shoes making their way across the floorboards. Of course, Lazy would think your stitches needed work. But stitching up skin-like fabric wasn't exactly the easiest thing in the world, especially when the needle you were using was made out of a refined tree twig, and the thread was some left over bow string. You continued sowing it up, thinking about the lesson you had just learned from Lazy. As soon as you made the first rough stitch, he came over and slapped the table harshly. He stared straight into your eyes. His were a bright blue, and one of them was lazy. It swiveled in another direction, at first this had kind of freaked you out. But Lazy was as harmless as a housefly. _

_"What do you do after you clean the wound, Juliet?" he asked, his mouth in a crooked smile. You thought for a moment and then smiled brightly. You had this. You turned back to your work, and began messaging the arm of the 'patient' so that a pretend puss would squeeze out of it. Lazy clapped a hand on your shoulder happily and gave a loud hoot. You smiled and finished up the dummy's injury before turning to Lazy. His smile was huge and showed all of his teeth. His dark hair was swept into perfect order, and his dress was impeccable. It was like he was always ready for a business meeting. He patted the dummy on the leg sympathetically._

_"Well, it looks like I've finally taught you something…," he said, jokingly. He knew that, in reality, he had taught you everything. This small healing was just one of the many lessons that you've had from him. And it certainly wasn't your last…_

"Do you think he'll be okay?" Demitri asked, wiping off his hands in the pond. You sniffed and looked back down at the unconscious Frank. It had been a tought operation. Frank had woken up right in the middle when you were still cleaning out the puss, and he had freaked out. But Demitri, being the best friend, had done Frank the honor of knocking him back unconscious. If he hadn't, Frank would've hurt himself even more. But right now, his leg was all stitched up, thanks to Demitri's extra needle and yarn. You were silent for a moment, as you cleaned off your hands of blood. It was getting late and Cid would start to worry about where you were. It was time to get back.

"Cid's waiting for me about two miles East. We promised we'd meet back up about mid-day, he'll start to worry if I don't get back in time," you said, pushing your hair back. Demitri nodded his head vaguely and wiped some sweat off his own forehead.

"Frank won't be up for another hour. Why don't you go get Cid and we'll wait for you," he suggested. You nodded in agreement, and then handed him some raw meat.

"If Frank wakes up, give him some water, and cook him some food. He'll be really hungry, and really thirsty. But make sure he doesn't move. I'll check on his wound when I get back," you said, turning away. Demitri grabbed your arm softly, making you turn around in confusion. He looked deep into your eyes with a kindness and gentleness you didn't know he possessed.

"I'm glad you're alive," he said, his words slow and deep. You smiled and walked up to him.

"I'm glad you're alive too," you said softly. Chuckling, he brought you into a bear-like hug for a good full minute before letting you go. Giving him one last smile, you began running back East towards the meeting point with Cid.

Two hours later, you found yourself back at the meeting place, grinning ear to ear at the spectacle before you. Cid was hung up in a tree by his ankles. He squirmed restlessly against the rope, his goggles hanging across his face ridiculously. "How did you manage to do THAT, Cid?" you called up to him. His face blushed and he mumbled something. You leaned up against the tree and put a hand to your ear teasingly.

"Ugh…I just wanted to catch something…," he mumbled. You laughed and then grabbed your knife and swiftly cut him down. He fell to the ground in a pile of limbs and then jumped right back up again. He rubbed the back of his head nervously and pointed at the fire nearby. "At least I got the fire started," he murmured. You walked over and messed up his hair before bending over and cooking the meat you had carried.

"Hey, I found Demitri and Frank…they're alive," you said, making sure ALL the meat was properly cooked through. Cid jumped up, his blue eyes wide with excitement.

"Where?!" he asked excitedly. You laughed and patted the ground next to you. He sat down and twisted his legs across so that he was sitting facing you.

"Don't worry they're fine. They're just two miles West of here, next to a pond. We'll finish cooking this meat, and then we'll head over there," you said, ruffling his hair mother-like. He smiled, and that's when you saw just how worried he had been. Everyone was human, but sometimes it took a reminder to know that Cid was still a kid, and he still had emotions. Back when you had hugged Demitri, you had emotions too, and sometimes it wasn't such a bad thing to show them every once in a while.

Cid had followed you back to the pond, and he had hugged Demitri vigorously before turning to Frank. Frank apparently had reawakened as soon as you had left. You then proceeded to check on his leg, which seemed to be going down from the swelling. Frank had taken you by the shoulder and had given you a soft hug. "Demitri told me that if you hadn't healed me, I would have lost my leg. So, thank you," he whispered. You smiled and hugged him back. It had been a long journey, and you needed to get back to District 13.

So, after a few minutes of making sure you had everything, you began moving through the forest. Frank's leg was still wounded, so you ended up going painstakingling slow, but you were able to deal with out until day break. Sighing, you leaned up against a tall oak tree and looked at Frank. He was panting heavily and he was leaning over his knees pathetically. You threw back your hair and walked over to him, forcing him to a sitting position and elevating his leg.

He grimaced as you took off his bandages and cleaned out the stitches. He pushed you away as you attempted to pour some medicine on it. You tsked your tongue and shook your head. "If we don't get it washed out, you'll take on a fever," you explained effortlessly. So, giving you a begrudging look, Frank sighed and leaned back against the tree, taking anything you dished out to him.

By the time you were done redressing his wound, Demitri and Cid had managed to get a fire started and cook some of the game you caught. They handed you and Frank a few pieces of meat and stale bread. You sat down right next to Cid and focused on the fire. It crackled red and gold fiercely. The daylight was slowly turning into darkness, the sun just on the horizon.

_You were climbing over the fence when a shout caused you to fall onto your back and wash the wind from your lungs. It took a minute, but you slowly stood up and faced your intruder. He was a middle-aged man with curly white hair, and a dazzling smile. He was wearing some pretty nice slacks and a polo shirt. For this reason, you could guess that he was pretty well-off. However, the most prominent feature wasn't his air of wealthiness, it was his one lazy eye. It swiveled forwards and sideways without any control, while his right one remained heavily on you. You felt your face heat up with embarrassement, and you looked down at your feet. The man walked forward up to you, and put a finger under your chin and lifted it up so that you would look at him. _

_"And what would a young girl like you be doing out here?" he asked, softly. You sighed and backed up a step, shrugging your shoulders. He smiled for a moment, then got down on eye-level with you. _

_"And what is your name?" he asked. You took a look at him, scanning his face. He seemed genuine enough…_

_"Juliet," you whispered. The man stood up straight and smiled brightly, as if he already knew. He held out his hand in invitation._

_"Alright, well…hello Juliet…you can just call me Lazy," he said with a smile. You stared at his hand for a moment before slowly gripping it. He gave your hand a vigorous shake and then he let go and walked in the other direction. He took a few steps and then gestured for you to follow. You stood there for a moment, unable to move. Then, taking a breath, you took your first steps forward, and began to follow Lazy. _

You woke up in a heap on the ground near a large oak tree. Blinking back sleep, you got up and stretched quickly before shaking the others up. Frank grimaced as you helped him to his feet, but before the hour was up you got everyone moving. It was slow going, but Demetri managed to keep everyone's spirits up. He told tales of previous ventures and how close he and Frank have come to capture and death. They joked around and laughed together, even though Frank winced once in a while from his injury. Cid laughed along, but you could see the sorrow in his eyes when he was silent.

You walked about 12 miles before your group finally got to the drop zone. The hovercraft was sitting in the middle of the field. Checking Frank's bandages one last time, you cleaned out the wound and helped get him on to the back. Demitri took to the wheel and drove off in silence, keeping away from the main train. You sat back, happily enjoying the ride back to District 13. The mission had gone off as planned…but you were returning with one less companion…and that was the hardest thing about it. Watching the green landscape pass swiftly by, you dwelled on Marcus.

He had been there for you through the whole time. Marcus was one of the oldest citizens of District 13, and he had been one of the best. Looking to the left you saw the Cid was sitting there with his head in his hand, his eyes downcast. Feeling slightly guilty, you scooted over to him and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He looked up at you with big watery eyes and a small smile. Sure, you could tell him that everything was alright, but Cid knew differently. The truth was Marcus was dead, Frank was very hurt, and District 13 was still underground. Looking up at the sky you thought about the information you had gathered from District 2.

Just as this thought crossed your mind the hovercraft veered quickly to the left. Cid flew into your side, causing you to crash into the back. Groaning, you gripped the edges and stood up prepared to glare at Demitri. However, just as you stood you were pulled back down by Frank who was sitting up with a mean look on his face. "Look!" he shouted. Glancing upwards, you were caught by a vision of hundreds of hovercrafts loaded with guns and crossbows. A peel of bullets hit the right side of the hovercraft, causing you to hit the deck. Grimacing, you pushed Cid closer to the ground and grabbed a nearby semi-autmatic and let loose a few rounds towards the air.

There were a good hits, but there was just so many of them that it didn't make a difference. Turning to Demitri, you stood up straight and cupped your mouth. "We can't stand this much longer! Defensive maneuvers Demitri" you shouted to the front. Demitri responded by veering to the left and then taking a major dive to the forest bellow. As the hovercraft pitched to the ground, you felt the trees and branches whip through your face and hair, clawing through your clothes. The others screamed, and all you heard before you hit the ground was a major CRUNCH!.

Lying on the ground, you heard the others groan. Getting up, you felt the earth spin slightly before you shook your head into reality. Looking up you saw that District 13's hovercrafts were moving on, completely ignoring you. You thought that it was a little strange how they just continued West instead of killing you off. But you weren't concerned about that now. Instead, you turned to your teammates to find them all sitting up slowly. Quickly running over to Cid, you made sure that he was alright with just minor injuries before turning to Demitri and Frank.

Demitri had already gotten up and was kneeling by Frank. The spunky red-head was lying on the ground with his leg in a bad position. Grimacing, you ran over and gently gripped his head. Sighing in relief, you felt a slow heartbeat between your fingers. You then proceeded to examine the rest of his body, noting the fact that there were limited amounts of scratches and bruises. His leg, however, was a different story.

Because of the impact of the crash, Frank's bandages had been cut off and his wound was even deeper; the stitches broken apart. Grimacing in sympathy, you turned to Demitri and gestured at the wound. "I don't suppose you would have any extra thread, huh?" you asked. He shook his head and leaned against a near tree.

"No, and it looks like his wound's getting worse," he responded, his voice deep and steady, but you could see the fear in his eyes. Nodding slowly, you thought for a moment then grabbed a nearby leaf and carved a whole out of the oak. Dripping the sap from the tree, you spread it across Frank's leg and then wrapped the leaf around it. Stepping back, you grabbed the rest of your canteen water and dumped it onto his face. Frank spluttered and gagged before coming to. Helping him sit up, you leaned him against the tree. He rubbed his head and moaned horribly.

"What….what happened?" he asked slowly. You chuckled gravely and pointed at the sky. He looked up and groaned again. Demitri rubbed his bruised cheek in thought.

"Why aren't they killing us?" he asked seriously.

"Would you prefer they did?!" exclaimed Cid. He was busy trying to rummage the hovercraft, but to no avail. He sighed and looked up at the sky in boredom. "What are we gonna do now? We're out of water, out of food, and our hovercraft is dysfunctional." You thought for a moment and put a hand on your face, feeling a raw spot that was bleeding slightly. Ignoring the slight mark on your cheek, you turned back to your team.

"I don't know what's going on, but we need to get out of here," you said, looking around. By now the hoverships had stopped flying over and were heard in the distance. Cid looked behind the trees for company, but nobody was there…in fact…there were no sounds or smells.

"Man, everything's kind of stil," said Cid, looking around nervously. You nodded in agreement. Everything WAS a little too quiet. You stood up suddenly, realizing what was going on. You grabbed Cid and Demitri.

"Help me get Frank up, we need to get out of here…NOW!" you shouted. Without questions from your two comrades they gathered up Frank in their arms and hauled ass towards the trees.

"What's going on?" asked Demitri, half-carrying Frank. You pushed them further into the forest, not caring on where you were going just as long as you got there as fast as possible. However, before you could take another step, the world exploded.


	5. Chapter 5

_The fire engulfed your face in warmth. Snuggling up closer into the blanket, you curled onto the couch. Lazy walked over and gave you a mug of steaming hot cocoa and gave you a smile. Sitting next to you, he handed you a book called "The Lord of the Flies" while he took "The Origins of Species" by Adam Smith for himself. In silence you sat for what seemed like a few minutes when a sudden booming on the door radiated from the outside. _

_"Peacekeepers, open the door!" shouted a gruff voice. Lazy jumped up with a speed that he's never demonstrated before. Grabbing you arm, he pushed you down into the basement and through the cellar door. It was pitch black, yet Lazy continued to force you into the darkness. From the distance you could hear splintering wood and some gun shots. _

_"Keep going, Juliet!" whispered Lazy urgently. You groped your way through the tunnel until you came upon a small crevice. Lazy pushed past you and pushed a knob on the end point and a hinge swung open to reveal a dense forest. Pulling you through, he shut the door behind you, showing that you had come out of a cave. Grabbing your hand, Lazy looked you square in the eyes. As you looked in his dense eyes, you were aware of the seriousness of the situation. _

_"What's going on?" you asked, your voice in a bare whisper. Lazy smiled sadly and unwrapped "The Lord of the Flies" from his jacket. Handing it to you, he wrapped you in a hug._

_"Run…run as far away from here as possible and don't look back," he said, letting you go. You shook your head, feeling the tears begin to cloud in your eyes. _

_"No…please…don't leave," you spluttered. Lazy smiled one last time and turned away. You heard banging from the other side, causing you to turn and flee. You fled as fast as you could, ignoring the stinging cuts from the branches, and the ripped pants from the brambles. From behind you could hear shouts and gun shots, but you continued forward. You hugged the novel to your chest and flew through the density of the forest._

_A few miles later, you found yourself in the heart of the trees, not a person to be seen or heard. With haggard breathing you leaned against a tree and slid to the ground in a crumple of exhaustion and sorrow. Looking up you heard a huge blast from the distance. A wave of dust and leaves blew through your face and hair. Standing up quickly you felt your knees quaver and shake. "NO!" you screamed, knowing in your heart that Lazy was gone…_

"NO!" you shouted, sitting up suddenly.

Flashes and dots filled your visions as your knees and elbows quaked. Groaning, reality hit you smack in the face before you realized where you were. Your senses came back to you, and you slowly stood up and leaned against a charred tree next to you. Blinking back tears, you looked around and took stock of your surroundings.

Everything was burnt. The trees were bent and broken to the side. You stumbled a few feet forward and saw Cid laying on his side with blood dripping down his face. Falling to your knees, you shook him slightly and heard him groan. With a sharp intake of breath, you gently rolled him onto his back and examined his body for any fatal injuries. There was nothing too serious, but he did have a pretty nasty gash across his face that needed to be sealed. Helping him sit up, you gently pushed back his bright blonde hair. He slowly opened his eyes and rubbed his head. "Unh…what happened?" he asked, his voice soft. You smiled, relieved that he was alright.

"We're still in the clearing, but it looks like the others have been scattered…I think a bomb went off somewhere…," you said, looking around. Cid slipped back to unconsciousness, but you kept him propped up against a tree. One down two to go.

Walking a few yard West, you found Demitri already awake, propping his leg up with a crutch. Almost laughing with relief, you ran over to him and helped him to stand. "Oh thank God you're alright," he muttered as soon as he saw you. "What the hell happened?" he demanded hypothetically. You shrugged your shoulders in response, but you knew the answer to his question. District 12 had just been blown up. Using you as a prop, Demitri pushed himself into a standing position and hobbled over to where Cid was laying unconscious.

"Is he alright?" he asked, nodding to the blonde kid. You nodded your head and helped him sit down next to the tree.

"Have you seen Frank?" you asked, standing right back up. Demitri shook his head sadly and looked down at his feet. Putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder, you headed back into the dead forest. Searching through every nook and cranny you finally found the funny red-head behind a large willow tree, stuck between two rocks. Crawling over the hill, you pushed the rocks away and gently dragged Frank away from the wreckage. His eyes were closed, but the rest of his face was pretty torn up. Grimacing, you moved down to his already-wounded leg and nearly threw up with disgust. The whole leg was skinless with the muscle showing. By the look of things, Frank wouldn't last the night if you didn't cover it.

Without hesitation, you searched for sap in the dead trees and spread it across the wound. You then stuck any leaves that you could find on the sap, fully covering the wound. You massaged the area, pumping the blood back into the leg and then gently shook Frank awake. He coughed and spluttered before rubbing his eyes tiredly. Groaning, he attempted to sit up, but he winced in pain. "Ugh…God my leg!" he cried softly. Grimacing sympathetically, you helped him sit up properly and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"I know it hurts right now, but we have to get out of here. A bomb went off and pretty soon Peacekeepers will be here to sweep the area…plus…if we don't get your leg checked by an expert physician then it could get worse…," you added, helping him to his feet. He put an arm around your shoulders and hopped back to Cid and Demitri. Upon seeing his crewmates Frank busted out into a huge smile.

"Oh thank goodness you're alive!" he exclaimed, hobbling over to his friend. Demitri slowly got up and hugged him quickly. Putting a strong, reassuring hand on his torso, he helped his friend stand up straighter. You gripped Cid by the forearm and pulled him up onto his feet. Pushing Demitri and Frank forward, you steadied Cid.

"C'mon guys, we can't stay here. Peacekeepers will flood the area looking for any wreckage," you reminded them, pushing onward.

It was very slow going, but you pressed on. You HAD to get out of there as fast as possible; the last thing you needed was another raid on the area. By the time the sun had set, you were only 7 miles from the original area, but Frank couldn't go any further…and you weren't in any condition to argue. So, you lodged in a small cave that night, surrounded by rock and wildlife. After redressing Frank's wounds, you laid down and stared up at the stars. Cid took a spot next to you and sighed, his face scraped up from the explosion. His blonde hair messy and unkept, his eyes up and glowing from exhaustion. You felt so much guilt for how he was…

_You were about 5 miles away from District 7, shivering in the woods alone. The fire was glowing at your feet, and you were huddled in a blanket and clutching "The Lord of the Flies" with all your might. You heard a twig snap behind you and you immediately turned and pulled out your make-shift bow and an arrow. Gritting your teeth, you focused your vision on a bush nearby. "Come into the light!" you shouted forcefully. By now you had grown accustomed to the hatred of the Peacekeepers, having fled from them since you left District 2. A sniffle came from nearby and the bush wiggled and let out a small boy with blazing blonde hair and incredibly blue eyes. His nose was bleeding, and he had a black eye. Feeling suspicious, you kept the bow up, but you lowered your defenses enough so that he walked a few feet forward. You didn't know who he was…but he had better be careful._

_"Who are you?" you asked, your voice still hard and fierce. The boy sniffed again and shuffled his feet. You noticed how he clutched his arms in cold, and how his teeth chattered._

_"Uh…Cid…," he said shyly. You squinted at him, checking for weapons, but deciding he wasn't a threat, you gestured for him to join you at the fire. Giving you a reluctant smile, the blonde boy walked forward and dropped right close to the fire and sucked in its warmth. You watched as he rubbed his hands together and made himself comfortable on the ground next to you. He had no defenses at all. He was perfectly comfortable and trusting of your presence. Feeling yourself smile slightly, you inched closer to him and pulled out a piece of jerky from the backpack you had stolen from a ruffian in District 5 and offered it to the poor boy. 'Cid' looked at you with wide eyes for a moment before taking the jerky and practically swallowing it down. After finishing his small meal, he shyly glanced up at you._

_"What's your name?" he asked softly. You smiled and shook his hand in good faith._

_"I'm Juliet," you answered…_

"Hey Juliet, how much longer do we have to walk?"

You were jerked out of your revere by Cid's pleading voice. You pulled Frank's arm tighter around your shoulders and looked at the horizon. By now you had reached the edge of the forest and was making your way across the barren landscape that once was a flourishing District 13. "Almost there…maybe another hour…," you answered. Frank groaned, his eyes fighting to stay open. You slapped his face gently, attempting to keep him conscious. If he slipped into unconscious he might end up in a coma…and that would be very, very, very bad. Meanwhile, Demitri was fading just as fast, and Cid was becoming slower and slower as time progressed.

It was around the 10th mile when you heard the verring of hovercrafts. Looking up, you saw that several of District 13's officers had made an appearance and were holding very big guns and very big frowns. Ignoring the obvious distrust, you held up your badge. "Special Agent Matthews requesting assistance," you groaned, gesturing to Frank. The meat heads looked at each other before nodding confirmation and helping you drag Frank and Demitri onto the hovercraft. Cid followed you on board and you flew off back towards the home base.

As you flew you felt yourself drift in and out of consciousness, vaguely aware of blood dripping from your cuts on your face. In what seemed like hours you were aware of arriving at the base of the underground District 13's entrance where doctors were awaiting the hovercraft. You felt hands lift you from the lift and place you gently on a gerny. Exhaustion and worry faded into your mind as you felt the safety of the underground hospital engulf you. You tried to sit up once, but you felt dizzy and ended up laying back down. Voices could be heard from a distance, but you ignored them and drifted off into a deep sleep…


	6. Chapter 6

_"Where are we going?"_

_It was Cid and he had been bugging you for about a week now. Rolling your eyes, you continued walking, slashing away at the excess trees and vines. Cid was right on your heels, his hair peeking out from the rest of the greenery. You just glanced back at him. "District 13" you answered solemnly. Cid was stopped in his tracks. Raising an eyebrow, you stopped and turned to look at him. _

_"Are you sure?" he asked softly. You folded your arms and gave him a serious look._

_"Yes, Cid. I'm going to District 13. You're welcome to join me if you want," you answered shortly. Cid shuffled his feet for a moment before looking up at you with a surprised expression._

_"It's just…itsn't District 13 destroyed?" he asked. You rolled your eyes and tapped you foot impatiently._

_"I've heard rumors that the rebellion has gathered there, underground….besides…if it IS destroyed then no Peacekeepers will be around to kill us," you explained. Either way, you would be safe…well…safer. Cid stared at you for a moment before slowly nodding his head and following you deeper into the forest…_

"Juliet? Juliet? C'mon Juliet, wake up."

Light filtered into your eyes, blinding you for a good minute. Groaning, you tried moving your arms, but exhaustion sweeped through your mind in a large tsunami. A voice filled your ears and mind, encompassing your thoughts. It was the only thing that you could comprehend.

"Oh thank god you're alright! C'mon Juliet…open your eyes…" It was Cid's voice. Moaning, you pried open your eyes and slowly took in of where you were. You were laying down on a hospital bed in the infirmary back in District 13. Two flowers sat at the end of your bed, Cid sat next to you in a wooden chair. You noticed how the scratches on his face seemed to have been stitched up. He gave you a small smile and patted you on the leg. Sitting up, you rubbed your head and eyes tiredly.

"Is everyone okay?" you asked suddenly, remembering Frank. Cid nodded his head.

"Yeah…thanks to you," he said softly. You gave him a reassuring smile and stood up and got out of the bed. Stretching, you checked over you vitals and limbs. The nurse came in and noticed you were up.

"Ah, you're awake…well you were just suffering from a small concussion…your vitals seem to be in order. I think you are free to leave," she said with a tender smile. You nodded your head and took a few slow steps before following Cid out into the main hallway. He held onto your arm in a protective fashion and steered you through a crowd of citizens who were making their way to the dining hall. Cid pulled you all the way to your room where he gave you a small note before leaving you alone in peace. Backing up into the small cubicle called a room, you opened the letter to see a small hand-written note saying: _Come to the office immediately after you get settled back in. Dress up. _Confused as to why you should dress up, you walked over to the small dresser and picked out a comfortable blue dress. Walking over to the small mirror, you nearly stepped back in astonishment. With extreme hesitation, you looked in the mirror and touched your cheek. You had one scratched from bottom of your chin all the way to the top, stitches sticking out roughly. Two scratches lined your neck, and a bruise was formed on the left side of your forehead. Gently touching the area, you winced with pain and focused your attention on your hair. Brushing through it, you twirled the ends and flipped it around before deciding it was fine.

Shrugging with indifference, you left the room and walked down the hallway and up the stairs to Coin's office. Standing outside the door you took a deep breath and knocked three times.

_You dragged your feet through the dust and the sand, hoping beyond hope that an oasis would appear. But as the sun grew darker, you knew there was no hope. Cid was even worse off than you. His eyes were dull, and he was slow going. You helped him keep up, but you were both soon on your knees crying of exhaustion. All hope seemed loss that night. But before the sun was completely gone, a magnificent light shone down upon you and Cid huddled in the sand. Covering your eyes, you gazed up at the luminescent light with wonder and awe. A person yelled down at you, and soon you were engulfed by warm hands._

_It was some time before you were reawakened. And by then you could feel your stomach growl in angry protest at you negligence, and the feel of soft linen against your rough skin. Voices appeared all around you, making hushing noises. A beeping monitor near your head was going off like gentle music. Groaning, you sat up and took stock of your surroundings._

_You were in some kind of a hospital with nurses milling about. A drip was connected to your forearm and heart monitors were connected to your arms and legs. A chubby, ginger, nurse hurried over and checked your vital signs. Everything seemed okay considering she unhooked you from the monitor. Before she could leave you alone, you grabbed her by the arm. "Please," you begged. "Where am I? What's going on?" The nurse gave you a pitying look before turning to a radio and talking into it._

_"I've got the unconscious girl down here in the infirmary. She's awake and she wants answers." She said this almost in a military like fashion. Apparently someone was talking on the end, because she clicked off the radio with a "Copy that." Walking over to you, she helped you stand on two feet and then gave brushed you off. Writing something on her clipboard, she directed you to the door. It swung open in a swish and it led to a long hallway. People wearing the same uniform walked past with their heads down and their hands clenched. Something felt strange here…The nurse gave you a false smile and then pointed to the right. Feeling confused, and slightly baffled, you followed her instructions and slowly walked through the right wing of the hallway. You noticed how people seemed very much down, and how they wouldn't look you straight in the eye. You continued for a few minutes before you came upon a door marked PRESIDENT. It was a simple door, yet you could feel your knees quake a shake. Where were you?! Taking a reassuring breath, you closed your eyes and knocked three times…_

The door swung open and revealed a round room filled with people. Cid was the first one who caught your attention, his blonde hair and rough facial stitches sticking out from the rest. Before you could say hello, a gangly red head appeared in your vision with a big smile on his face. He wrapped one arm around your shoulders and chuckled.

"It's good to see you not in a coma," he said jokingly. You slapped him gently on the arm and noticed how he was still limping pretty heavy on his left leg.

"It's good to see you not unconscious," you responded. A person cleared her throat and forced your attention to the desk at the end of the room. Coin was staring at you with intense eyes and a bored expression on her face. Her mouth was upturned and her arms were tense. You could see the lines forming around her face, and noticed how stressed she seemed to be. This kind of made you happy.

"Congratulations on the successful mission…," she said softly. You frowned for a moment and thought back. Visions blurred through your mind like a movie reel and forced the anger you had kept down to come boiling to the top. Angrily walking to her desk, you pounded the oak in front of her and looked her straight in the eyes.

"I hope whatever information we gathered was worth it because we lost Marcus because of it," you hissed. You folded your arms and squinted at the president. She merely sat back and stared you down, choosing her words very carefully.

"You know as well as I do that some losses can't be prevented," she answered slyly. That's when you realized what Coin was TRULY saying. When you had first started the mission, you didn't question as to WHAT exactly you were looking for…just information…but Coin knew. The timing had been perfect…those houses…they belonged to higher-up Peacekeepers. You felt your stomach drop, and vile build up in your throat.

"You knew…," you whispered, barely able to say the rest. Coin cleared her throat convincingly and shuffled around some papers on her desk. She nodded at the corner where you were surprised to see a new guest in the office.

"Please restrain yourself for once Juliet…we have…visitors," she said with a raised eyebrow. You glanced at the man and noticed how he was around your age. He was tall, dark, and his eyes bore into you like x-rays. His arms were crossed and scratches aligned his face telling you that he had also just gotten out of combat. "Special Agent Matthews, this is Gale Hawthorne…he's from District 12…," she answered obvious as to why she added that last part. You merely nodded at him and turned back to Coin, now composed you did your best to look bored.

"Why's he here?" you asked rather rudely. Coin gave you a bad look then turned around and turned on the TV. It flashed on and showed you a movie reel of Caesar's showcase of the last minutes of the Hunger Games. A skinny girl with a braid in her hair and a rather built boy were standing facing each other with what looked like berries in their hands. The girl gave the boy a smile and they both began slowly lifting the berries to their mouths. Suddenly, however, a voice called down and announced them as winners. Frowning, you put a hand to your chin and scratched it. Two winners? Caesar had some commentary, but Coin shut the TV back off and turned back to you examining your every move.

"Two winners? I don't understand," you said regretfully. A smirk began to form on Coin's face, but you ignored it.

"I understand why you are confused…you've been in a coma for almost 3 days now…," she said slyly. You ignored the comment as well and just stared at her. She nodded to Gale. "Well, District 12 has been destroyed…,"

"I know," you muttered glaring at her.

"…and Gale's friends, Peeta and Katniss were the ones you saw in the Games about to commit suicide," she finished. You gave her a confused look.

"Suicide? All I saw was two contestants eating berries."

"They were poisonous…they both declared that they would rather die than conform to the Capitol's wishes," she continued. You dwelled for a moment on the implications of such a daring move. To defy the Capitol would be defying President Snow himself…and that would cause quite the little mess for his dear city. You chewed on your finger nail for a minute before looking back up at the old president.

"President Snow would never allow them to live after that…," you said. But then you put the pieces together. Of course…they must have been from District 12…

Coin saw you put the puzzle pieces together and nodded her head solemnly. "That's right…he sort of did…," she answered. You cocked an eyebrow and shrugged your shoulders.

"So…what now? If they're already dead…," you started. But the boy, Gale, interrupted you.

"They're not dead. Katniss is here…Peeta was captured," he answered gravely. This got you to think. If that girl…the winner of the Hunger Games was here…oh boy…

"So, what do you need me for? I just got off a job," you said, getting to the point of this whole meeting. The only reason why Coin would care where you were was if she needed something done quickly and discreetly. Coin sat up in here chair and put a business-like look on her face.

"Yes…well…Gale here is from District 12 and he wants to join our forces in fighting," she said, looking over at the solemn dark boy. You glanced over at him and analyzed his facial expression. You could tell he handed slept in a long time…probably because he was grief-stricken from losing his District. Turning back to her you shrugged your shoulders.

"So? Get an officer up here to train him," you replied bluntly. Coin smiled obviously which made you roll your eyes. Of course…you were the "perfect agent for the job".

"Well, Juliet that's why I brought you up here to my office today. Gale's still too unexperienced to be in the front lines so I've made him a special operative…like you…and I need you to train him before I send him out on his first mission," she answered, matter-of-factly. You rolled your eyes again and scratched your arm. Glancing over at the boy you realized that he probably wouldn't be too hard to train. He was quiet, obedient, and he didn't complain.

"So, you're not sending me out on another mission?" you asked…regretting the fact that your voice sounded hopeful. Coin gazed at you for a full minute before turning back to her paperwork.

"Training Gale is your most important mission right now, Juliet. Get to work." And with that she bade you farewell in which the door swung open. Cid clapped you on the shoulder in a friendly manner and steered you back into the hallway.

"Are you alright, Juliet?" he asked, his voice betraying his concern. You smiled and nodded your head.

"Yeah, I'm fine…it's just…my…head. I think I'm gonna go get some dinner before I head to my room," you said. Cid nodded his head and waved goodbye before heading towards the computer lab. Demitri gave you a salute before helping Frank down the stairs. You headed down to the cafeteria and grabbed your extra-sized tray of food and sat down to gourge yourself. Because of your excursion to District 2, and your coma, you were a little low on fat so the kitchen was being extra nice to you and giving you a full plate of gross beet and carrot soup. You were quietly enjoying the food when dark, Gale Hawthorne slid in the seat adjacent from you.

"Hi," he said simply, his dark eyes boring into yours. You nodded your head in acknowledgement but continued eating. He was silent for a minute before continuing.

"I'm Gale…and I think you're supposed to train me…," he said, getting straight to the point. You slurped some beet and carrot soup before answering.

"That's my orders," you replied. Gale nodded his head slowly and looked at your plate with a skeptical look.

"Do you always eat so much?" he asked, rather rudely. You ignored his rudeness and took another bite.

"Well, I do when I've just gotten out of a 3 day coma," you answered cleverly. Gale 's lips turned upward for a split second in which you could see how his face changed with a small dose of happiness. Stuffing some more soup in your mouth, you raised an eyebrow.

"So, tell me more about this…Katniss..and…Peeta. Coin wouldn't be interested in them if they weren't really important," you said curiously. Gale looked at his hands for a moment before gazing back into your eyes. There was a silence in which you could see that he was trying hard to place his words properly. He was conflicted somehow.

"After Katniss and Peeta refused to ingest the berries, Snow planted cameras and surveillance equipment around District 12. He gathered some information that wasn't favorable…and the next thing you know they were back in the arena against the old Games winners. Before there could be a major fallout Snow sent in Peacekeepers, but at the same time he had sent bombers to District 12. Luckily Coin was able to extract some citizens before the place blew up. We were able to get Katniss out of there, but we lost Peeta in the shuffle…," he informed you. You nodded your head to show that you were following. Thinking for a minute, you gulped down another bit of soup.

"So, where is this…Katniss…and why is she so important?" you asked emotionless. Gale was silent at this one. Again the conflict raged in his eyes.

"Katniss is…traumatized from what happened in the Games…I think she's hiding out somewhere. As for why she's important…I don't really understand it either. Coin wants her to be a symbol…a "mockingjay" for which the rebellion can circle around," he answered quietly. You processed this information slowly, not quite understanding the 'mockingjay' part…but whatever. To be honest, you didn't really care about her. You sat in silence for a bit more, kind of annoyed of the fact that the dark boy was still there. He looked at you expectantly.

"Well?" you asked loudly. He gave you a vague gesture.

"My training?" he asked simply. Nodding you finished off the soup and dumped the tray on the cleaning rack. Turning to him you folded your arms and gave him a small smile.

"Alright, meet me in the weapons unit at 800 hours tomorrow," you stated. And with that you turned and walked to your room, feeling the exhaustion hit you full in the face. Getting back to your nice, quiet, room you laid down on the bed and looked up at the ceiling. Eventually you drifted off into a deep sleep…


	7. Chapter 7

_The woman was looking up at you with dull, grey eyes. Her mouth twitched upward, and the tips of her fingers twitched expectantly. You were looking into the eyes of the president of District 13; the big manager of all this…it was crazy just thinking about it. You stood in front of her feeling very naked and bare. "What do you want, Juliet?" she asked expectantly. You stood there in deep thought. What were you supposed to do? Your parents were dead. Your allies were dead. And your only friend was lying in a hospital in critical condition. You had not choice…and the president of District 13 knew it. _

_"Alright, I'll stay…as long as you help get Cid back into shape," you said. President Coin gazed at you from her fingers and nodded her head. She wrote something down on a piece of paper._

_"The deal is acceptable. You will be in a single room near the top. Training starts at 6 am sharp, don't be late," she instructed you this and gave you a packet on weapons info. You turned to leave, however, she stopped you just by clearing her throat. You turned slightly and saw her give you a smirk._

_"Welcome to District 13, Cadet Matthews…"_

You opened your eyes to an alarm beeping in your ear. Groaning, you rubbed your face and then pushed the OFF button. Slowly sitting up, you yawned and scratched your arm. It was about 7:30 am and you were going to begin Gale's training today. Sighing, you went over to your wardrobe and picked out a black t-shirt that came to your midriff and tight black pants. You then proceeded over to the mirror and stuck your hair up with pins. Washing out the stitches on your face, you exited the room and made your way down to the weapons unit. There, Gale waited for you, wearing the designated uniform of a cadet and sporting a mediocre bow. Smiling at the menial weapon, you walked over and checked in with one of the guards. "So, what are we doing here?" he asked. You took the wooden bow from his hand and set it down on the floor. Instead, you replaced it with an automated bow with enhanced sighting, darkening, night vision, and aerodynamics. He raised an eyebrow at the large, black thing and weighed it in his hands.

"It's a lot lighter than it looks," he said honestly. Holding it out, he pulled back the drawstring and released it. He smiled at the sound of the snap. You nodded your head in agreement. It was a very sweet piece of equipment. You ushered in some shooting ranges and watched as he hit targets with different kinds of arrows: gas, freezing, iron, and just plain ones along with others. You watched him closely, trying to gauge his experience with the bow and arrow. From the looks of it this Gale guy had hunted before, and he knew how to handle his own weapon. Nodding to yourself, you gently pulled the bow out of his hand and searched through the weapons unit for a minute before handing the dark-haired boy a standard District 13 semi-automatic. He held the weapon in his hands and weighed it for a minute before taking aim and firing at the target.

Needless to say, he didn't get a bullseye. He didn't even hit the target mat. Cringing slightly at the thought of trying to teach a country boy how to shoot a gun, you showed him how to hold the gun properly before firing. After a few bad practice rounds, he threw the gun down in frustration. Being as patient as possible, you put the gun back in its spot and folded your arms across your chest.

"Don't worry about it too much, you're not going to be using the gun soon anyhow," you assured him. Gale gave you a funny look so you continued. "You need to be trained in hand-to-hand first before you can even see combat." You pushed him out of the weapons unit and down the hall to the combat room. Standing up on the mat, you took a few minutes to stretch out and got down in a defensive position. Gale followed your lead without question…a quality you were beginning to like about him. Without counting down, you immediately attacked without holding back. Gale was quick to respond with a solid block, however, he was very slow on his feet. You quickly overcame him in a few short steps and a well placed jab to the shoulder blade. He crumpled to the ground, and groaned slightly. However, he didn't stay down. With a red face, he got back up and attacked back. He ran at you with open arms, but before he could even touch you, you jumped over him and used his shoulders as a post and pushed yourself up and over his body causing him to run off the mat. Turning around he gave you a surprised expression.

Gritting his teeth, he ran at you again, but you could see that he had changed his mind and made a jab at your arm. Smirking to yourself, you dodged the punch by dropping to a crouch and doing a leg sweep. Gale hit the ground with a thump and moaned in pain. He didn't get up this time, but instead laid on the floor with wide eyes. Giving him a knowing smile, you sat down cross-legged next to him. He was breathing kind of haggardly, so you let him have a minute. Standing up again, you offered a hand.

"This is the kind of level you need to get on before you can get even CLOSE to the battle. So, let's try it again…"

_You hit the ground with a grunt and moaned. The man who stood above you was Officer Cornick. With a large scar reaching across his face and a buzzed haircut he looked very angry and very mean. However, he smiled when he held out a hand to help you up. You begrudgingly took it and hoisted yourself up. Rubbing your sore muscles you smiled at your tutor. "You have to admit that I'm getting better…," you said with a knowing smile. Cornick looked at you with a twinkle in his eye and shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. You lightly punched him in the arm teasingly. Walking over to the edge of the mat you got back down in a defensive position._

_"Ready to try it again?" he asked seriously. You closed your eyes and took a reassuring breath. Then, focusing, you nodded your head slowly. The large man paused for a second before throwing himself at you with quick jabs and punches. You dodged each one and then used his outstretched arm as a lifting post and cartwheeled over his back before hitting him in the soft spot on his shoulder blade. He went down on all fours. Surprised at your own success, you forget to take him out, so you paid the price when he shot back up and kicked your legs out from under you. You fell to the floor with the same surprised expression on your face. Cornick stood over you with a big smile on his face._

_"You're right, you are getting better," he admitted slowly. He then flopped to the floor a little breathlessly. Sitting cross-legged he got in a meditation pose and closed his eyes. You gazed at him for a second before following his lead. _

_"You think I'll ever have to see battle?" you asked softly. Cornick took an intake of breath before opening his eyes. He gazed at you sadly. Putting a reassuring hand on your shoulder he gave you a sad smile. _

_"I really hope not."_

You sat in that meditation position, focusing on your breathing. Gale was sitting next to you silently and obediently. He had several good bruises on his sides and back from your attacks, but he didn't complain about them. You took a few moments of silence to think about what to do next before slowing getting up and stretching your arms. Gale watched you and followed your example. You saw him grimace slightly as he touched a large bruise on his side. Taking a swig of water from the canteen you gave the tall, dark boy a smile. "You'll get used to it, don't worry," you said reassuringly. Gale looked at you with those dark eyes for a moment.

"That's a good thing?" he asked with a slight chuckle. You laughed and shrugged your shoulders.

"It'll get you by," you answered darkly. Gale nodded his head and then stretched his arms and legs.

You followed him out of the combat room and into the hallway. The clock on the wall told you that it was 5:30pm, time for dinner. You walked with him out into the cafeteria and stood in line for the food. A scanner read your bracelet and dumped a tray full of stale bread and an extra helping of grey casserole. They must still believe you needed to gain some weight…Gale noticed as well and snickered slightly. You ignored him and walked over to the nearest table and began to chow down. You ate it without much gusto. It was kind of hard to get excited about the food in District 13. Gale sat across from you and smiled.

"Yum…grey casserole…," he said sarcastically. You smiled and nodded your head. "It seems like the kitchen staff think you need to bulk up," he noticed. You nodded your head once again.

"I didn't get a lot of chances to eat on my last mission and I lost a bit of weight," you answered. You took a bite out of the casserole and grimaced slightly. It wasn't the best in the world. Gale took a bite as well, but he just kept a straight face. There was a moment of silence in which you could tell that Gale was dwelling on questions. You didn't have to wait long until he couldn't help but ask them.

"You're pretty young to be a Special Operative…," he suggested. You understood what he was getting at, but you just nodded.

"I guess…," you said simply. Gale nodded his head in understanding. You looked at him with raised eyebrows, inviting him to continue.

"How long have you lived here, in District 13?" he asked. You thought for a moment…now that was a little harder to answer.

"About 2 years," you said, thinking about it for a moment. It was weird…two years already…that felt like a millennia ago. Gale nodded his head. He looked you up and down in analysis.

"How come you don't have to wear the uniform?" he asked curiously. You chuckled at the thought of this question. It wasn't exactly like you had permission to wear your street clothes.

"Because I like pissing off our dear President," you answered darkly. Gale gave you a confused look so you continued: "I just don't look good in khaki," you said jokingly. The dark-haired boy merely snickered before finishing off his casserole. You drank the last bit of water from the glass and stood up.

"I have to go see about a friend, but we'll meet again tomorrow the same time," you instructed, getting up. Gale nodded and waved good-bye. You dumped your tray at the drop-off and then made your way up to the computer lab where you found Cid busy at work, hacking into the Capitol's mainframe. You watched with a smile on your face as Cid typed away at the keyboard. His face went from concentrated to frustrated, to satisfied. Sighing, he sat back in his chair and finally noticed your presence.

"Hey, Juliet," he greeted you. You sat down in the lab chair next to him and gestured toward the monitor.

"What are you working on now?" you asked, trying to be polite. Cid smiled and tapped his head in a genius way.

"We're hacking in to the Capitol's main computer system to see if we can crack their security codes," he answered. You gave him an impressed look and then smiled. But before you could ask any further questions every monitor in the lab lit up with life. Cid jumped to his feet and began typing away, however, a face appeared on each one.

It was a boy about your age. He had light blonde hair and a set jaw. His eyes were a light blue as he stared right into the camera. He was sitting in a chair, and his face was contorted in pain and frustration. He opened his mouth to speak and he told the camera that District 13 should give up in the fight or matters will just get worse. He then spoke a name, "Katniss", a girl who apparently was a key in all of this and that she should give up as well. Before the camera flickered off he gave a lurch of pain and he cried out. You jumped up and nearly gripped the monitor with surprise.

"Who was that?" you demanded. Cid, however, was busy with a series of flashing lights from the call box. He answered a phone and spoke through it with a firm voice. He then proceeded to type on the computer ferociously and pelt it with commands. You grabbed Cid's arm and forced him to look at you. "What's happening? Who was that?" you asked again, this time more clearly. Cid shook of your arm and continued working.

"I don't know, but that signal came directly from the Capitol…it was a warning…," he said gravely. You realized that you weren't gonna get answers from here, so you forced open the lab door and took the stairs up to the top level two at a time. Without knocking on the door, you burst into Coin's office. You could immediately see that she was just as haggard as you were. The phone was ringing off the hook and several operatives including Demitri and Frank were pacing the length of her room as she shuffled through papers on her desk.

"What the hell was that?!" demanded Coin. One of the chief officers flexed his huge muscles and scratched his head.

"It looks like the Capitol has managed to send us a link over our television wires," he answered. Coin looked like she was about to throw something at him, but instead she took a steadying breath and sat down hurridly behind her desk.

"Who was that?" you asked, calling attention to yourself. Coin looked at you and you thought you saw a vein pulse in her neck.

"What are you doing here? I don't remember inviting you," she answered back sourly. You shrugged your shoulders and took a step forward.

"Who was that on the TV? And who's "Katniss"? you repeated. Coin closed her eyes and held her head for a moment before answering.

"That was footage shot from the Capitol of Peeta Mellark giving us a warning," she answered gravelly. Peeta Mellark…Peeta Mellark…that name sounded sort of familiar. That's when a light bulb flickered on in your mind. Of course! The guy had been there with that Katniss girl in the Hunger Games. He had been captured, and now they were using him as bait. You noticed how stressed and tense everyone in the room was. Suddenly, the door burst open and in walked in Gale looking VERY tense. Coin literally groaned when she saw him.

"Not now Hawthorne," she said angrily. He stormed over and placed his palms on her desk.

"We have to go save him," he said. Frank hobbled over and nodded his head vigorously.

"He's right Chief. If they continue to use Peeta that way, our 'Mockingjay' will never be our symbol," he said in a hushed voice. Coin sighed and slumped back in her chair.

"I know! I know!" she cried, frustrated. She closed her eyes and put her hands to her temples in thought. You walked over slyly.

"I wouldn't mind going on a mission...if you needed me that is…," you said slowly. Coin's eyes snapped open and she glared at you angrily.

"Your mission is to train Hawthorne. That is it," she stated. Gale stepped up with a red face and a set jaw.

"I NEED to help rescue Peeta. Let me in on the mission," he demanded stubbornly. Coin stared at him blankly, her mind reeling. You stared at him as well, curious as to why he wanted in on this mission so badly. You knew that you had YOUR reasons…but what were his? Finally, Coin looked up her face now peaceful.

"Alright, I'll let you on a mission Hawthorne," she said slowly. His face brightened, however, Coin continued. "That's right, you'll be going on a mission, but not to save Peeta…not yet at least. We need to do some recon so you'll be going in on a covert operation."

Gale's face dropped a little but he remained silent. Coin then proceeded to turn to you with a big smirk on her face. "You want back in the field so badly Matthews, well here's your chance. You're going to take Hawthorne out on his first covert mission…show him the ropes…keep him busy. I need to do a little research before I can give you a case, but I'll be in touch with you by tomorrow." She said, looking at you directly. You almost groaned at the thought of training a newbie fresh in the field, but you didn't complain. Hey, it was something to do…Coin pushed you and Gale out the door.

"Now, if you'll please…," she said. Taking the hint, you waved good-bye to Frank and Demetri and followed Gale down the stairs to the bottom level. He stopped you in the hallway and made sure no one was listening.

"So, we're going on a mission?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. You sighed and picked at the ends of your hair.

"Yeah, it looks like it. But it's COVERT, so there shouldn't be a lot of fighting," you answered. Gale nodded his head. But before he could walk away, you stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"How come you want to save this 'Peeta' so badly?" you asked curiously. Gale looked straight into your eyes for a moment before shrugging his shoulders.

"He's…a friend of mine," he said, pausing slightly. You knew that he was lying, but you didn't press him any further. Instead you told him that he needed to get some sleep before heading off to bed yourself. Getting into bed, you rubbed your eyes and then drifted off into sleep…


	8. Chapter 8

_You faced Coin with a blank expression on your face. You could practically feel your knees quake and your teeth clatter. It was time for you first mission, and you were frightened. The merciless president eyed you over the folder in her hands and then slid it across her desk. You picked up the folder and examined the new information. You would be going undercover and hiding out in District 11 to do some recon on the market there. You were scared, nervous, and your knees shook uncontrollably. However, you stared down Coin and gave her a military-like nod. _

_"You've got your mission, Agent, now get me some results," and with that she turned around and went back to her paperwork. Without blinking, you shuffled out of the room and down the hallway. You went to your lonely room and changed into your usual outfit. Taking a deep breath, you wrapped the gun holster around your thigh and your tool kit around your waist. You walked down the hallway, feeling as if everything was a dream. You might never see that cafeteria again…you might never walk down these hallways again…yet…you weren't too upset about that. You're parents were dead, and you had no living relatives, the planet was in disrepair, and the Capitol was so corrupt that there was hardly any hope…was living really worth it? You then walked past the computer room where a small blonde kid with big blue eyes and goggles around his neck peeked out from the door. He noticed how determined you seemed, so he didn't say anything…but you could see the sadness in his eyes. And that's when you realized it: you did have something to live for…Cid was like a brother to you….and you wouldn't let anything bad happen to him. So, with a new found conviction you walked out of District 13, hopped on a hovercraft, and started your way to District 11…_

An alarm blasted into your ear, waking you up suddenly and terrifyingly. Sitting up, you took a few reassuring breaths and stretched your muscles. You yawned and then slowly got up and searched through your wardrobe before finding a loose blue t-shirt and cargo shorts. You walked over to the single mirror in your room and brushed through your locks before heading out the door. You sighed and walked out of your room only to come face to face with Gale. His eyes were wide, but other than that he was silent. You cleared your throat and looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. "What's going on?" you asked hesitantly. Gale gestured towards the stairs.

"Coin wants to see us about the mission," he answered. You nodded your head and followed him up to the President's office. Opening the door, you found a now calm Coin with her hair tied back doing paperwork. Folding your arms, you cleared your throat expectantly. Coin didn't even glance up when she slid the file across her desk. You picked it up and opened it to a few pictures laid out of a large mansion-like house.

"Where's Frank and Demitri?" you asked expectantly. The beloved President raised an eyebrow, but didn't seem all that concerned about two of her operatives.

"I sent them away to the emergency camp set up in District 11," she answered bluntly. You nodded your head, realizing that they were probably safer there than on any mission with you. Finding that acceptable, you picked up the file and opened it revealing your mission. To your surprise, you were to crash a party at one of the Head Peacekeeper's house in District 3. Before you could say anything, or object, Coin spoke up.

"You're going to a party," she stated obviously. You narrowed your eyes and looked down at your own clothes and Gale's. The two of you weren't exactly dressed for an upper party.

"Uh…," you started. However, Coin annoyingly waved her hand in the air. A soldier walked in holding two bags. He handed them off to Coin and bowed back out of the room. Smirking, Coin handed you one, and Gale the other.

"Now you'll be able to look the part…this is strictly covert…so keep it quiet," she said. Raising an eyebrow, you unzipped the bag and opened your mouth to protest. However, Coin saw the look on your face and immediately put a hand up to stop you. "Unless you want to be spotted and caught and then more-than-likely tortured, I would stay in those clothes." Sighing, you looked at the dress on the hanger. Ugh…the Capitol's taste was too flashy and gaudy. Grimacing, you zipped the bag back up and turned your attention to Coin. Her face was calm and silent, making you furious. You knew that you were going alone with Gale, and both of you had made Coin angry more than once. If she wanted to, she could "surprise" you again on this mission, and you weren't going to have it.

Walking over, you slammed your hands on her desk, bending low to her face. She slowly looked up at you without any trace of emotion on her face. "No surprises this time," you hissed angrily. She cleared her throat and raised her eyebrows solemnly.

"No surprises this time," she confirmed softly. You nodded your head in agreement, staring her straight in the eye. Her emotionless smile turned into a real smirk as the door opened and in walked two rather unique characters. The woman had her hair twisted straight up, golden lashes caked her eyes, and her outfit was a sharp, bright yellow. The man wore a bright green suit complete with feathered hat and puffed up lips. You turned back to Coin with a curious gaze. Her smile had turned to near toxic.

"Hawthorne, Matthews, meet your stylists," she said nodding to the two weirdos. "Paten and Anne will be taking care of your skin and hair so that when you enter the party nobody will question where you are from." Your mouth fell open in disgust. Stylists? Oh no…

"I'm not doing this," said Gale sternly. Coin gave him the stink eye.

"Oh yes you will. You were the one who wanted a mission, Hawthorne. Well, there you go," she responded. He rolled his eyes and sighed, his annoyance being obvious. You shared his enthusiasm for this, however, you knew that if you wanted back into the field…this was part of the gig…So, with a sigh, you grabbed the dress and walked over to the one called Anne. She gave you a bright smile, revealing several gold teeth and then lead you down the hall to one of the open rooms. The room had a basin with a shower hose attached and a pan with cosmetics next to it. The woman gave you a smile then proceeded to push you into the basin full of water.

For the next half hour Anne scrubbed you down in places you never wanted to be scrubbed. Every bit of hair from your legs and armpits was removed with hot wax and strips of cloth. After inspecting every inch of your body, she moved on to your head. Normally, you would be bashful about letting a stranger see you naked, but Anne was so strange that the embarrassment didn't seem necessary. When the strange woman got to your hair she spent another half hour just pulling out the knots. Smearing some gunk on it, she began to roll it up and stick it with pins. Deeming it good enough, she then grabbed a hold of your face and began plucking at it and smearing it with creams and salts. Cringing with the slight irritation, you let her go on without complaint. Finally, stepping back she grabbed the black bag and quietly slipped the dress on over your head. She smiled and clapped her hands happily.

"Oh my! Don't you look absolutely beautiful! Look what happens when we wash away all of that gunk," she cried enthusiastically. She lead you over to a mirror. Stepping back, you hardly recognized yourself.

You were dressed in a short white dress with a t-shirt like top but a feathery bottom. The dress was a crystal white and the feathers were as soft as silk. Everything from the upper thigh down showed, and made you pull on it self-consciously. You looked up and saw that your hair had been done in a loose braid around your shoulder, and you were wearing a white mask tha covered half of your gently touched the mask and gave Anne a questioning look. "What's this for?" you asked, confused as to why your face needed to be covered.

"It's a masquerade ball…everyone will be wearing one," she answered smartly. You shrugged your shoulders, this would actually be to your benefit, then NOBODY would be able to know your true identity. Walking out of the room in high-heels, you carefully stepped around to Coin's room to see a perfectly gelled, suited, boy standing there with a black mask waiting for you. He was leaning up against the wall, his hands in his pockets. His dark eyes looked at you and he gave you a small smile. All the dirt was gone from his face and hair, his clothes went from rags to black suit and tie. Smiling, you nodded your head and walked over. The two stylists came out and squeeled with delight at the sight of both of you.

"You look absolutely perfect!" Anne purred. You smiled sincerely and then shrugged your shoulders.

"Okay, so we look the part…how are we going to get there exactly?" you asked, getting down to the technical stuff. Anne smiled and lead you up through the main gates and around the corner to a large, black, limo. You shook your head in refusal, however, she steered you straight up to the monstrosity.

"Come on, Juliet, it's part of your disguise. If you want to look like a person from the Capitol…you have to ride like one," she said persuasively. You rolled your eyes and sighed. Fine, if that's what it took. Nodding at Gale, you climbed into the gross contraption of a vehicle and slid to the very back.

Everything was luxurious. There was felt and cup holders everywhere, lights dimmed the scene. As soon as Gale shut the door, the driver took off. Silence reigned between you and the dark boy. He gazed at you with curious, analytical eyes. Finally, he spoke up.

"You look nice," he said with a small smirk. You rolled your eyes, unable to tell if he was being serious or not.

"Thanks…so do you," you responded. Finishing THAT conversation, you looked out the window and stared out at the vast of green flying by…


	9. Chapter 9

_"Come on, Juliet. Sit up straight, chew with your mouth closed, take small bites, keep your chin up…"_

_You struggled against the ropes binding you to the chair. Lazy sat straight across from you on the opposite end of the oak table. He bit down on a slice of bread and slurped his soup with an amused twinkle in his good eye. You gave him the stink eye._

_"Why do I have to do this, Lazy? It's not like I'm going to be using this anytime soon…," you mumbled, feeling your stomach rumble listlessly. Lazy smiled and quietly set down his fork. _

_"Because Juliet you're a lady and believe it or not…this is what NORMAL ladies do," he answered smartly. You rolled your eyes and picked up the spoon with the tips of your fingers, keeping your back as straight as a board. You were wearing a dress, and you weren't happy about it. Lazy had also made you put on heels and do your hair…something you absolutely hated. Slurping the soup, you drained the bowl in half an hour and set the spoon down. Lazy gazed at you with analytical eyes and then walked over and untied you from the chair. You jumped up as if something had bitten you, and then glared at him. He smiled and put an arm around your shoulder._

_"Alright…we'll go do some hunting…"_

The limo stopped suddenly, jerking you out of a slight daydream. Rubbing your eyes, you took a big sigh and looked over at Gale. You were slightly taken aback by his steady gaze. Sitting upright, you looked out the window again and saw that the scenery had changed from a forest green to a pavement grey. The limo had stopped at the biggest house in District 2, a carpet lined the pavement and people filed inside a pumping house. Taking a deep breath, you followed Gale's lead out onto the runway. Your imagination told you that Peacekeepers were already pointing their guns at you, however, your disguise must have worked because they were silently standing on the sidelines. You gave them a big smile and then gently gripped Gale's arm. He looked down at you for a second, but didn't question it. He knew it was for the mission.

Gale lead you into the house where couples were gathered around the LARGE parlor. A glittering chandelier hung overhead and a band played steady music in the back. A large table was pushed to side and held every type of food in the world. More and more couples were filing in, however, a good number were already there dancing a sort of two-step. Looking around, you couldn't discern who was who…everyone was wearing masks. Giving Gale a big, fake smile, you gripped his arm.

"Wanna dance?" you asked happily. He raised an eyebrow and shook his head. Pulling him closer, you looked beyond his mask.

"C'mon…it'll help us scope out who's all here," you whispered. Gale gazed at you for a split second before nodding his head and leading you out to the dance floor. He took a hold of your right hand and then put another on your waist. He then began to slowly and steadily move you across the room in a pretty decent two-step. You raised an eyebrow in a surprised expression. You didn't expect a guy from District 12 to know how to dance.

"Didn't think I could dance?" he asked knowingly. You smiled and shrugged your shoulders.

"No…but if it means anything I'm sorry for judging to early," you said with a genuine smile. He smiled back at you and nodded his head. When Gale turned you around once more you noticed a back hallway to the left…a very vacant back hallway that lead upstairs. Before Gale could step around again, you gently tapped him on the arm and jerked your head to the left. He looked and nodded his head in understanding. Trying to be as discreet as possible he gently gripped your arm and led you down the hallway.

It was very dark with a few rooms lining the walls. The band music slowly dimmed as you continued further into the mansion. A room lay way in the back with a weird security lock on it. Nodding towards the door, you and Gale began making your way through. However, a sound of several footsteps coming down the back staircase. Peacekeepers. You pulled Gale to the side, bumping up against the wall. Grimacing, you looked over and then gave Gale a pleading look.

"Okay…any ideas?" you asked, remembering how you didn't have a gun hidden on your anywhere. Gale gazed at you with his dark eyes. You raised your eyes expectantly.

"Well?" you asked, pushing him to hurry up his idea. The Peacekeepers were getting closer. For some weird reason he took a step closer to you.

"Just go with it…," he mumbled. Before you could demand what he meant, he gripped your cheek and neck and then bent down. His lips met your with a forced enthusiasm. Your eyes went wide, and your instinct was to throw him off, however, you realized what he was doing. He was portraying the two of you as a mere straying couple. So, you let Gale push you up against the wall and push harder on your mouth. He moved one hand onto your waist and pulled your closer just as the Peacekeepers crossed your path. They immediately stopped and pulled the two of you apart. Smiling with ease, Gale kept a protective arm around your shoulders.

"Can we help you gentlemen?" he asked with a slight Capitol-ish accent. The Peacekeepers kept their guns holstered, so you took a deep breath of relief.

"Citizens aren't allowed to be back here," said the one on the right. You calculated him to be about 150 lbs, and about 5' 8''…you could take him if need be…However, that need never came up. Instead, Gale kept a tight grip on your arms, holding you to the spot.

"Sorry officers…we were just hoping to get to a quiet spot…if you uh…catch my drift…," he said with a slight wink. You nearly blushed at the statement, however, you kept a hard, straight face. The officer sighed and nodded his head then pushed his partner slightly out of the way.

"Alright, but stay in this area…do not go any further…," and with that said strongly, he and his partner departed. You sighed a sigh of relief and looked up at Gale with an appreciative smile.

"Good thinking," you whispered. Gale nodded his head in a business-like fashion and kept walking down the hallway. You were taken aback by his slightness of air. Sure, you knew it had been merely to give the illusion of affection…but you couldn't help but feel slighted when he showed no interest afterwards. So, ignoring the feelings welling in the pit of your stomach, you continued forward to the very back room. The door was locked with an old fashioned padlock. Gale sighed and pushed on the door listlessly.

"Now what do we do?" he asked, his voice deep. You gave him a knowing smile and plucked a pin from your hair and stuck it into the keyhole. Bending down, you carefully moved it around, hearing the clicks and squeaks of the lock. With a sudden jolt, the lock fell open. Giving Gale a cheeky wink, you turned the knob very carefully and stepped inside.

The room was very spacious. A desk sat at the very end ominously. You raised an eyebrow at Gale and narrowed your eyes. This was too easy. You looked around the walls and saw a few sensors stuck to the brick. Nodding at Gale, you analyzed them slowly, taking in ever digit. They seemed to be angled so that any move you made would be seen. Sighing, you glanced at Gale and gestured towards the sensors. He looked confused a moment before it dawned on him. "What should we do?" he asked, his voice a deep vibrato. You sighed again, already knowing the answer to the question but not willing to say it. So, without answering, you stood up straight took a deep breath and move forward. Gale was about to grab your arm in protest, however, he immediately pulled back when he saw what you were doing.

_A drop of sweat fell from your forehead and straight onto the floor as you stayed as still as the grave in your back flip position. Lazy sat Indian-style ahead of you with a peaceful look on his face. He was busy trying to meditate while you stretched and bent in order to increase your flexibility. _"_Lazy…how much longer?" you asked rather desperately._

_He smiled and tapped his fingers in thought. Finally, he nodded his head, and you crumpled to the ground in exhaustion. Standing up, you staggered a little before taking a few deep breaths. Lazy stood up too and gave you a big smile. "One day, child, you'll be thankful for all of this flexibility training," he said annoyingly. You rolled your eyes and folded your arms across your chest. _

_"Yeah, I'm sure…," you whispered in an impatient fashion. Lazy's good eye twinkled peevishly, and suddenly he backed up and pulled up a few training disks. You sighed and prepared yourself for an onslaught. But this time, Lazy didn't throw you any weapons._

_"This time, Juliet, you have to avoid them only. Merely defense, no offense," he said impishly. Focusing, you got down in a defensive position. With a smile, Lazy began skillfully chucking the disks at you, making sure that you had no choice but to twist and turn your body into flexible shapes. Each disk zoomed past you without a care. You dodged each and every one, ending up on the floor panting from exhaustion. Lazy walked up to you and looked down with a determined expression on his face._

_"That's why you need to work on your flexibility. So, shall we continue?" he asked. Sighing, you held up your hand and he pulled you back up for another round of exercises._

You twisted slightly, avoiding contact with the red sensor, and then jumped over another. Without thinking, you bent close to the ground and squeezed past two, while lifting your leg to avoid another. You ended up with your back straight, and your bed high in the air. With a sudden realization, you turned your head slightly to see Gale staring at your ass. "Are you looking at my ass?" you asked teasingly. Gale's eyes darted to yours, and you thought you saw a slight smirk form on his face.

"No," he answered simply, but you smiled knowingly and continued maneuvering your way over to the desk. With one last leap, you found yourself over the labrynth of red sensors. Taking a sigh of relief, you began digging your way through the contents of this highly fortified desk. Papers upon papers with bills and notes you merely brushed aside. You then pulled open the first drawer and found a file labeled CONFIDENTIAL in big black letters. Looking up, you flashed it towards Gale and then opened it. It showed pictures of District 12 in full detail. Every last inch had been covered. You could see crowds of people gathering in the square to watch the large monitor. Frowning, you realized that it must have been taken during the Reaping. Flipping through it you found similar pictures of District 10, 9, 8, and so forth. It dawned on you how this must be surveillance. The last picture caught you right in the gut. It was a picture of District 13, the desolate land quiet and unperturbed. Coin would want to know that her enemies were spying on her camp. But how did they get this close of a shot? You needed answers. Rummaging through the desk you found another interesting piece of paper. This one had a list of names and headshots. Looking through it you found Coin's picture, along with a few nameless Generals of District 13, a few agents, and…you. The color drained from your face as you came upon a picture of yourself from a long time ago when you had left your home. You frantically looked through it once more, noticing how some names were crossed off. Stuffing it in your dress, you rummaged through it some more, searching for some kind of explanation.

"Juliet!" hissed a distracted Gale. You looked up at him to see that he was frantically pointing at the door. You realized that he must have seen some people coming. So, you began rummaging through the papers at a breakneck pace and stuffing files and paper into a nearby purse. Throwing it over your shoulder, you recklessly did a few back-flips over the sensors, and crouched near Gale. Two people were right outside the door, their voices loud and clear.

"Should we check in the file room?" asked one, his voice deep. A stone fell into the pit of your stomach, hurtling it through your mind. Immediately your began going through all the different possibilities of how to take these guys down. However, the other one spoke up.

"Nah, there's enough sensors to see a mouse in there," he said. You felt a sigh of relief as their footsteps slowly faded down the hallway. Taking a reassuring breath, you nodded at Gale and slowly moved back down the hallway. When you got back into the crowd of people in the large ballroom, you acted normally with a big smile on your face and a vapid gait. Gale followed suit, even smiling at people occasionally. You slowly danced your way back across the room and then made your way out the door and into the street. Now you moved quickly, your pace becoming slightly frantic. The bag bumped against your hip reminding you the precious cargo you were carrying. You saw the limo sitting around the corner near a dark alley, and you pulled Gale over and got inside.

You pounded on the driver's door and he took off full speed down the road. Sighing with relief, you glanced at Gale, his face was white from fear. "Good work," you admitted to him, trying to ease some of his tension. He gave you a slight smile.

"It went off without a hitch," he stated in a surprised manner. You smiled and nodded your head in agreement.

"Yeah, usually I go back to District 13 with at least 7 new cuts and bruises," you joked. He gave you an appreciative laugh and then fell silent. You watched out the window, the green dashing before your eyes. Suddenly, Gale cleared his throat, looking over you realized his face was slightly red.

"Uh…listen…about what happened back there…," he said, rubbing the back of his head. You felt the heat rise in your neck and cheeks. You messed with your hair in a distracted manner.

"Uh yeah…look I know you did it to disguise our identities…it was just part of the job…it's fine…," you stammered. Gale nodded his head speechless. You returned your attention to the window of the limo, feeling the heat begin to slowly crawl away. There was no reason to be embarrassed. The kiss had been a part of your disguise, nothing else. Gale must have agreed with this sentiment because he watched the window as well. Silence reigned between the two of you as the limo made its way into the deserted District 13.

The limo slowed to a stop right outside the vehicle warehouse, and you got out along with Gale. You hitched up the bag on your shoulder and followed the limo driver, a trained operative, through the hatch to the underground District. You were lead down a flight of stairs and right to Coin's office door. Not even knocking, you walked in to find Coin busy with four people you've never seen before. The people were obviously a family. Two were adults, one mother and one father. The mother was clutching a hankerchief as if it would disappear before her eyes, and the father was muscular with a slight dark-eyed look in his face. The two kids were standing near them. One was a small blonde girl with big blue eyes and ponytails, she was clutching a rag bear with every muscle in her body. The next was a boy about your age. He was leaning against the wall in a nonchalant manner, however, you could see the tension practically radiate from him. He had dark hair and dark eyes, kind of like Gale except a little smaller and leaner. He was wearing a black jacket with dark jeans, and he had a slight cut on his left cheek. He turned and looked at you with wandering eyes. Ignoring him, you turned your attention to Coin.

She gave you a rather annoyed look. "Juliet, this is the Taylor family…they are from District 2 and are looking for sanctuary here at District 13," she said introducing you. You merely nodded at them and then lifted up the bag hanging on your shoulder.

"We need to talk," you stated grimly. Coin glanced at the bag and nodded her head. She turned her attention to the family and gave them an unusually welcoming smile.

"We would be glad to have you Mr. Taylor. Here's a key to your new room, it may not be as big as you would like, but we're obviously low on space here at District 13. There should be enough beds though, so please make yourself as home as possible. We will talk again later about your position here," she stated, almost sounding like a hotel person. The father didn't smile, but nodded his head and lead his family out the door. The last one to leave was the boy. He glanced at Coin and then rested his gaze at you for a moment before exiting. Coin waited until the door and securely shut before addressing you.

"What have you found?" she asked hurridly. You pushed the bag onto her desk and gave her a serious look.

"Nothing good," you stated. Coin pulled out the file and list and quickly ran through them. You had to give her credit, she let no emotion slip into her expression; it remained hard and calculating. Finally, she set the file down, sighed, and rubbed her forehead in a tired fashion. You waited for her to say something, however, she remained silent in her own thoughts. You would not let her have that reprieve.

"So? What does it mean?" you asked impatiently. Coin looked up at you, her wrinkles sticking out more than ever now. She gazed at you in quiet analysis before responding.

"It means that we need to up our surveillance around the area. We can't allow them to get any more recon, it'll destroy our reputation," she said simply. You nodded your head, accepting that answer. You then turned your questions towards the list on which you were on.

"And the list?" you asked quietly. Coin, pushed the piece of paper away from your eyes.

"It's nothing…," she said unconvincingly. You raised an eyebrow, and put a hand on the desk in a demanding fashion.

"Coin, I'm on there," you whispered harshly. Coin sighed and shook her head.

"I don't know, Juliet, I'm going to have to do some more analysis on it. But until then, you need to get some sleep and some food. I'll message you if I need you," she said, folding the paper and locking it in her own desk. You took that as a dismissal and began to retreat. Gale cleared his throat expectantly.

"And what about me?" he asked. Coin gazed at him silently examining him. Finally, she nodded back at you.

"Juliet will continue your training for now, I'll see if I can put you on a team to one of the emergency camp," she informed him. Nodding his head, Gale followed you out of the door and down the steps. You continued walking until reaching your own door number 63. You turned around to Gale and gave him a slight smile. The remnants of your awkward conversation in the limo still lingered.

"Uh, good job today Gale. You've shown that you can really operate on a covert mission," you said in a business-like tone. Gale gazed at you with those dark eyes and nodded his head in appreciation.

"Thanks," he stated. "So, we'll train tomorrow?"

You nodded your head and bid him a good-night. Closing the door behind you, you changed into your pajamas and washed your face in the small bathroom. You combed your hair and rid it of any residue hairspray, and then crawled into bed. It took you a mere few seconds before sleep had you in its clutches.


	10. Chapter 10

**The Next Day…**

You were awoken by a loud pounding on your door. Groaning, you slowly got up and pushed yourself out of your nice warm bed and onto the cold, hard floor. Frustration rose to your face as you opened the door to confront the loud, rude intruder. The door swished open, and you were greeted by a pair of angry, big blue eyes. Cid was standing there with his arms crossed across his stomach, and his goggles down around his neck. He gave you a mean look as he let himself in.

"Ah Cid, it's too early!" you groaned, annoyed with the little twerp. Cid waved this off with a rude gesture.

"I can't believe you got back from a mission and didn't say hi to me!" he exclaimed. You rolled your eyes in annoyance. Usually, as soon as you got back from a mission the first thing you did was tell Cid that you were okay. Looking across at him, you realized how worry lines had erupted across his forehead and cheeks. His eyes were a little puffy, as if he had stayed up all night waiting for you to return. A pang of guilt rang through your body as you realized that he had been genuinely concerned for you. You put your arms around Cid and squeezed him in a gentle hug.

"I'm sorry, I was just so tired that I didn't think about it," you said slowly. After a moment Cid wrapped his arms around your middle. He sighed into your hair.

"Just don't do it again," he whispered back. At that moment you took stock of how tall the blonde boy was getting. He was no half an inch taller than you, and he was starting to develop some lean muscles. He slowly let go of you and you saw the worry vanish from his face. That pang of guilty multiplied by ten. Cid was like your little brother, your thoughts should've immediately been to make sure that he knew you were okay. Smiling, you promised the kid that you would meet him for breakfast. He left your room with a sigh of relief and then shut the door.

You slowly stretched each limb, making sure that your bruises and cuts were healing. You then changed into a striped white and grey t-shirt and a rough pair of jeans. You then stuck on your Communicuff and made your way down to the mess hall. The line moved slowly and you found yourself sitting at a long table with a plate full of soggy strawberries and a large portion of stale ham. Holding back the grimace you were willing to dig up in response to this food, you took a few bites before being joined by Cid. Looking around, you realized how people seemed to be staring at the table across the room from you. You nodded over in that direction. "What's going on?" you asked Cid. He turned in his chair and saw what you were meaning.

"Oh…it's that Katniss girl," he said quietly. You frowned slightly. That was the girl who Coin wanted so badly; she was the one who had won the Hunger Games this year. You noticed how she had a faraway look on her face, and how she seemed to play with her food, as if distracted. You then watched as Gale slid into the seat opposite of her. They talked for a few minutes, Gale gazed at her with an interest that you hadn't seen yet cross his face. Cid followed your gaze and nodded his head in understanding at your confusion.

"Yeah, it looks like they know each other…," he stated slowly, implying a lot of things. You turned your attention back to the food in front of you. A sudden pang of jealous sprang up in your gut. It was small, but it was still noticeable, and it caught you off guard. Why were you jealous? Because of Gale's attention? Whatever. You shook your head and conversed with Cid about what he was doing up in the lab. He talked excitedly of new projects he was taking on involving the Capitol's mainframe, you listened semi-intently. Smiling every once in a while at his enthusiasm.

Cid was interrupted by Gale who slid quickly into the seat next to him. He merely nodded at Cid, acknowledging his presence, and then turned his attention to you. "So, are we training today?" he asked, a slight excitement in his voice. That pang of jealousy sprang up in the middle of your gut and you found yourself playing with your food.

"What about your friend?" you asked, nodding towards Katniss, who had gotten up and was making her way up the stairs. He merely glanced over at her before turning back to you with a solemn look on his face.

"Katniss is….traumatized from losing Peeta….I don't think she'll be up for training for a while…," he said, covering up the truth with a bad lie. You nodded your head, feeling slightly ashamed of yourself. What did it matter if Gale liked Katniss? It was to be expected, they were from the same District after all. Finally, you smiled at him and nodded your head.

"Yeah, we'll start by warming up in the combat room first," you said. Gale nodded your head and said that he would meet you there. Now you were left alone with Cid who was giving you a knowing look. You glared at him back, refusing to allow the heat to grow onto your face.

"What?" you demanded darkly, already knowing the answer. Cid smiled and rolled your eyes.

"Sure, you were _tired_…," he said slowly and teasingly. You rolled your eyes and gently pushed him on the shoulder. Getting up, you dumped your tray, and proceeded to the combat room.

You walked right in, only to stop suddenly at the sight of _two_ boys standing there waiting for you. On your right was Gale, as expected. However, on the left was the Taylor boy from Coin's office. He was leaning against the wall nonchalantly, looking at you with a curious gaze. You raised an eyebrow expectantly.

"Uh, who are you?" you asked getting straight to the point. He smirked and stood up straight.

"Finn Taylor," he answered. "President Coin said that you were supposed to train me…or something…" You rolled your eyes, making a mental note to tell Coin off for handing you yet another student. You weren't a training professional, this wasn't your job description. You walked over and gestured at Gale. "This is Gale Hawthorne, I'm Juliet Matthews" you stated simply. He nodded at Gale and smirked at you.

"How come you're not wearing what everyone else is?" he asked curiously. You rolled your eyes, recalling a similar conversation with Gale. And right now, you didn't have the patience to answer it. Instead, you gazed at Finn assessing his muscularity. He was lean, a little bit smaller than Gale, but he looked like he could handle himself in a fight. So, you walked over to the mat and stretched your muscles a little to warm up. Gale followed suit, however, Finn merely looked at you with skeptical eyes.

"You'll want to warm up before you train," you warned. Finn shrugged his shoulders and pulled off his jacket, showing off his muscular shoulders. Before Finn could block himself, you flipped backwards toward him and grabbed his arm before flipping him over face-first onto the mat. He looked up at you with a surprised expression on your face. You couldn't help but smirk slightly.

"Welcome to District 13," you said, unable to help yourself. You caught Gale smile at this, and then helped the boy up. He looked slightly embarrassed but he didn't resort to any name calling or badgering. Instead he just gazed at you in awe.

"Wow, you're really good," he said. You rubbed the back of your neck uncomfortably. You didn't get praise very often.

"Uh thanks….now, I'll need you to watch carefully. You'll need some practice before you catch up to Gale, he's been training a little longer than you," you said. You then proceeded to show the new kid all of the basic steps and moves. He watched with intense care, making sure that every adjustment was perfect. You kind of liked seeing this, he was attentive and willing to learn. As for Gale, he held back and practiced alongside you, mastering each step...

_"Why are you making me do all of this?" It had been 3 hours, and Lazy was still refusing to let you rest. He chuckled good-heartedly, his gut rolling slightly. He circled you slowly and carefully. You were feeling tired and worn out, yet he kept coming at you._

_"Because little one, one day you might be teaching others these moves and I don't want you to forget them," he said. You giggled slightly._

_"I've hardly begun learning them myself, Lazy," you reminded him. But he waved this off._

_"One day you'll see…"_

"Okay, I think we can be done for today," you stated, a little breathlessly. Both of the guys were bent over their knees attempting to catch some air. Gale nodded his head and said that he had to go check on Katniss before lunch, so he left first. That meant that you were left alone with the new guy. He smiled at you as he caught a big breath of air while standing straight. He held out his hand in a friendly manner.

"Good job today, I don't think I've ever seen a girl fight like that," he stated in a complimentary fashion. You eyed him suspiciously before shaking his hand. He continued to smile at you as you packed up your things. Ignoring him, you moved for the door, however, he walked alongside you, attempting to make conversation.

"So, where're you from?" he asked curiously. You raised an eyebrow and gestured around. But he shook his head. "No, I mean…what District did you live in before you came here?" You sighed, not really wanting to get into that complex subject, but suspecting that he wouldn't stop asking you questions.

"District 4," you stated, your voice turning slightly cold. However, Finn didn't catch on to it.

"Oh, I'm from District 2," he replied. He let that statement hanging there, begging for you to ask him another follow-up question. Sighing, you obliged to this mandatory manner thing.

"So, how do you like District 13?" you asked with a monotone voice. Finn shrugged his shoulders undecisively.

"I guess it's okay…," he answered. You were now in the main cafeteria. Getting in line, you waited impatiently for your food. Finn must have sensed your tension.

"Sorry, I'm bothering you," he said slowly. You felt a pang of guilt and shook your head.

"No, it's fine. I'm just…a little wound up, that's all," you responded. You got your plate of rations, seeing that the extra food you had been getting diminished slightly as your weight increased. Finn followed you, and seeing his family over at the other side he waved. He then noticed how you were going over to sit by yourself.

"Where are your parents?" he asked, curiously. You winced slightly, trying to remind yourself that it wasn't his fault he had no idea what your story was.

"Uh…they died two years ago…," you said softly. Before he could answer, you gave him a smile and waved good-bye. "I've..uh…got to go…I see a friend over there." And with that you left him to his own relatives. You saw Cid sitting by himself, so you made a beeline for the seat opposite of him. You sat down in a flurry and began chowing down. The blonde genius gave you a confused look as he raised a spoonful of mashed potatoes to his mouth.

"Are you okay?" he asked suspiciously. You smiled and ate with a good enthusiasm. Shrugging his shoulders, Cid let your unusual behavior be. You sat in silence for a few more moments, letting your thoughts take over…


End file.
